Yucaipa falls to El Dorado in first round
Fifth-inning rally and untimely errors spell end to the Thunderbirds’ season
YUCAIPA » El Dorado coach Matt Lucas had his three best pitchers ready to go for the first-round CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoff game on Friday.
Yucaipa coach Ralph Grajeda had his barrel chart to view following the game.
El Dorado took advantage of Yucaipa errors and broke a tie for a 3-2 victory on Evan Rolbiecki’s double to left in the fifth inning.
Starting pitcher Josh Pugh earned the win, and Nathan Huy and Garvey Rumary shut down Yucaipa in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the victory.
El Dorado improved its record to 17-12, while Yucaipa finished its season with a 19-9 record.
El Dorado will play Notre Dame Sherman Oaks on Tuesday in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Notre Dame shut out Mira Costa, 3-0, on Friday.
Yucaipa senior shortstop Jacob Reimer, projected to be an earlyround draft choice in the MLB draft, gave the Thunderbirds a first-inning lead when he drove in Wes Hickey. Yucaipa’s other run scored on Chase Antillon’s sacrifice fly in the third inning, which broke a 1-1 tie.
El Dorado scored a run on a passed ball in the third, and tied the score in the fourth when second baseman Isiah Walz threw wildly trying to complete a double play. All three of El Dorado’s runs were unearned.
“We knew how tough they were, but we thought our pitchers matched up well against them,” Lucas said. Pugh stranded seven runners over his five innings pitched. Huy used his slider to keep Yucaipa off balance in the sixth inning, and Rumary mixed his pitches well. Lucas said Rumary will start Tuesday’s second-round game.
El Dorado assistant coach Jeff Picou summed up the team’s effort in the meeting following the game.
“We weren’t perfect, but we were perfect when we had to be,” he said.
The barrel chart is a list of hard-hit balls. Grejada said there were six line drives hit right at defenders.
Grajeda said the loss was heart-breaking because it meant the final game for his seniors. That group was in eighth grade when Yucaipa won their most recent CIF Southern Section championship.
“Saying good-bye to this group is hard,” Grajeda said. “It was a successful season, but when I think back I’ll probably think about those six line drives.