Wild-card games open CIF playoffs on the diamond
Dylan Hatch and the Redondo Sea Hawks host Ramona in a Division 2 wild-card game Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. Photo
In most cases, going from first to third is a positive move in baseball. Not so for Redondo’s baseball team, which entered the final game of the regular season Thursday in a three-way tie for first but ended up in third when all was said and done.
The conclusion of the race for the Bay League was loaded with drama. Front-runner Mira Costa controlled its own destiny but dropped two consecutive games to Palos Verdes, which found itself in the awkward position of rooting for its rival on the hill, Peninsula, which scored three runs for a walk-off win to deny Redondo a chance for its first league title in 10 years.
Mira Costa entered last week in sole possession of first place after splitting its two-game series with Redondo with a 2-1 victory over the Sea Hawks that allowed Palos Verdes to creep into a second-place tie with Redondo.
Then things got wild. Mira Costa needed only to split the series with Palos Verdes to earn at least a share of the Bay League title but could only muster two runs in two games against the Sea Kings.
Redondo’s 3-0 win over Peninsula, coupled with Mira Costa’s 2-1 loss last Tuesday, gave the Sea Hawks a golden opportunity to go into the post season as the Bay League’s No. 1 team. Since they swept Palos Verdes two weeks earlier, all the Sea Hawks had to do was win one more game against the Peninsula Panthers, who were playing sub-.500 baseball.
Carrying a 2-0 lead into the final inning, Redondo was one strike away from victory two times in the final frame but eventually surrendered three runs in the heartbreaking loss.
Meanwhile in Manhattan Beach, Mira Costa’s bats remained silent. The Mustangs garnered only six singles in the two games against Palos Verdes, dropping the second game 7-1. A coin toss would determine which team would represent the Bay League as its second and third team in the CIF Southern Section-Ford Division 2 playoffs in second.
Mira Costa won the flip, but both teams were awarded home games in the wild-card round on Tuesday.
Bay League champion Palos Verdes (21-8) will host the Arroyo Grande-Pasadena winner in the first round on Thursday. Mira Costa (18-12) will host Arlington on Tuesday with the winner playing at Glendora (17-8) in the first round. Redondo (17-11) takes on visiting Ramona (12-17) in its wild-card game with the winner playing at second-seeded Pacifica (23-5) on Thursday. All games are scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m.
In Division 4, Pioneer champion El Segundo (16-14) will host Oaks Christian (12-13) while North Torrance (18-12) plays at No. 10 La Quinta in the first round. Torrance (18-12) hosts Malibu (15-8) in a wild-card game Tuesday with the winner traveling to No. 8 Don Lugo (19-5).
In Division 6, Chadwick (6-12) hosts a wild-card contest against St. Genevieve (7-10). The winner will play at second-seeded Capistrano Valley Christian (20-6) on Thursday.
Taylor Glover and the Mira Costa Mustangs aim for a deep run in the CIF Southern Section-Ford Division 3 playoffs. Photo
Softball
Mira Costa (21-7) finished in second place in the Bay League after defeating Palos Verdes 9-6. Ulufa Leilua was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, Kacey Hutton was 2-for-2 and Taylor Glover had two hits and an RBI in three at bats for the Mustangs who will host Temescal Canyon (13-12) in a wild-card game on Tuesday.
Redondo missed the playoffs but ended on a high note handing Bay champion Peninsula it only league loss of the season with a 5-4 road win.
Haley Reed hit a two-run single and Samantha Ruiz was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Peninsula (16-10) hosts the El Rancho-Alemany wild-card winner in the first round if the CIF Southern Section-Ford Division 3 playoffs on Thursday. Palos Verdes (12-14) plays at Knight (18-6) in a wild-card game.
Pioneer champion North Torrance (23-7) earned a sixth seed and hosts the Lakeside-Arcadia winner while Torrance (25-7) hosts Chaminade (13-9) in the first round.
In wild-card games, El Segundo (17-7-1) plays at Paramount (13-2) and South Torrance (18-10) travels to California (19-8).