Cardinals headed to semis
#2 Lindsay advances with 12-6 win over #7 Strathmore
Laughter, high fives and jokes were all that could be seen and heard from Lindsay High School’s dugout after the second-seeded Cardinals eliminated their rivals, seventh-seeded Strathmore, from the CIF Central Section Division VI playoffs with a 12-6 victory at home.
Laughter, high fives and jokes were all that could be seen and heard from Lindsay High School’s dugout after the second-seeded Cardinals eliminated their rivals, seventh-seeded Strathmore, from the CIF Central Section Division VI playoffs with a 12-6 quarterfinal victory at home Thursday.
Heading out to clean up the field LHS senior Mark Ibarra let everyone know that he liked hats while senior left fielder Jacob Macias bravely recounted how he took a pitch to the glutes for the team. Lindsay will host 14th-seeded Roosevelt (4-21) on Tuesday, May 22nd in a 4:30 p.m. semifinal game. Roosevelt beat sixth-seeded Kennedy (10-14) 8-5 to advance.
“Of course we’re in a good mood,” LHS head coach Brett Kendig said. “We’re moving on to the next round of playoffs, that’s what it’s all about. It’s good to get a win against the Spartans.”
For the fourth time this season, the Cardinals (17-12, 11-4 ESL) came out the winner against their cross-town, East Sequoia League rivals Strathmore (11-14, 5-10 ESL). But like in any matchup when theses two schools meet, everything was close — well at least until the bottom of the fourth inning when Lindsay broke open a scoreless game with an 11-run half-inning.
The Cardinals got the ball rolling by loading up the bases with a hit from senior Cameron Smith and walks to junior Nick Dunning and senior Isaiah Duran. After hitting a home run in his team’s 24-4 win over 15th-seeded Summit Charter (13-12) in the opening round game on Tuesday, Ibarra hit another ball deep to left field and brought in the first run of the game. On the next at bat, Dunning scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.
“That could’ve been a huge blunder at the moment,” Kendig said. “Only getting the one run and then if we don’t get them in but then everything went fine after that.”
With the bases loaded, Macias smacked a pitch past second base for a two-run Rbi-single. On another bases-loaded at-bat and facing a new pitcher, junior Julio Godoy’ hit to right field brought in another run. Smith followed Godoy’s at-bat up with what would be a gamewinning two-run RBI to left field. Two at-bats later and it was Duran’s turn to get an RBI, which Ibarra topped off with a sacrifice RBI of his own. Just before the Spartans’ could get out of the inning, senior Edgar Silva launched a hit over the Spartans’ right fielder’s head to score the final and 11th run of the inning.
Godoy went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Ibarra was 2-for-4 with two RBIS and two runs scored. Smith also went 2-4 with two RBIS and two runs scored. As a designated hitter, Isaac Garza reached base twice on a fielder’s choice and error and scored the team’s final run in the bottom of the fifth.
Strathmore sophomore Sam Cisneros started on the mound and went three innings before being pulled after Ibarra’s first RBI. He gave up two runs on three hits and two walks. Cisneros was relieved by Arely Landis, Zeke Floris and Adam Saleh.
“We did a really good job cause their catcher blocked several pitches in the dirt and a couple of those balls barely got on the grass and our guys made it,” Kendig said. “We had the right guys on. Nick Dunning and Julio (Godoy), they’re really good base runners. They’re fast but they’re good base runners too.”
Strathmore had somewhat of answer in the top of the fifth when they too loaded up the bases and started a rally with senior Matt Brown scoring on a passed ball. Back-to-back RBIS from senior Adam Saleh and a three-run RBI triple from Cisneros gave the Spartans life and cut the Cardinals’ lead to 11-5.
But Lindsay found an answer for Strathmore’s rally by bringing in junior pitcher Ryan Scheufele for starting senior pitcher, David Jimenez, and getting the final out of the inning without giving up a run. Strathmore left a total of 12 runners on base.
“I came in pretty confident, I wasn’t too scared,” Scheufele said. “It was just a little nervewracking, my first relief in a playoff game. It’s my first-year on varsity too.”
Scheufele went 2 1/3 innings with one run allowed — in the seventh — on two hits, three walks and a strikeout. Jimenez went 4 2/3 inning with five runs on five hits, five walks and four strikeouts. For the Spartans Saleh drew three walks, reached on an error and scored two runs.
“I’m so pleased that the guys didn’t stop,” SHS head coach Thad Reece said. We put five on the scoreboard and then even in the last inning we had the bases loaded. We’re young, we’re very young. Lot of sophomores, a lot of freshmen. So hopefully, this is a stepping stone for the future.”