The Pioneer baseball team rebounded from a tough loss in the CIF-SS Division 8 championship game with a 6-3 victory over Mountain View in the first round of the CIF Southern California Division V Regional playoffs Tuesday.

The third-seeded Titans (18-14) will host No. 7 seed High Tech of San Diego (17-10) in the regional semifinals today at 4 p.m. High Tech defeated No. 2 seed Fillmore 3-1.

It was Fillmore that rallied Saturday from a 6-0 deficit to defeat Pioneer, 7-6, in eight innings in the Division 8 title game.

Mountain View (15-14) lost in the CIF-SS Division 9 championship to Nuview Bridge, 3-2.

“We were ready to play after such a devastating loss,” Pioneer coach Bob Espinosa said. “We’re senior heavy with 12 seniors and the kids are setting the stage. We’re building a pyramid, and they will always be a part of the foundation.

“The kids are making history, and I don’t think it has settled in yet.”

Leading the way for the Titans was junior first baseman Joshua Carrasco with two singles, three RBIs and a run scored. Senior shortstop Izzy Copado scored two runs, had a single, stole two bases and reached base in all four of his at-bats.

“I just forgot about (the title loss) and I knew we had a game and just moved on,” Carrasco said. “Everyone wants to win CIF, but state is bigger, and it feels great to be making history.”

Mountain View was led by senior center fielder Adrian Peralta with two singles, a stolen base and a run scored.

Mountain View starter Adam Alcantar pitched six innings and had a game-high 10 strikeouts.

Pioneer starter Cristian Maciel picked up the win with five innings of work. He scattered five hits and allowed two unearned runs.

“It started out rough and I just kept on playing my game,” Maciel said, “sticking to my pitches and at the end of the day, it came out good. It feels great, and nothing is going to stop us.”

Maciel, a senior, had six strikeouts.

“Cristian is a battler,” Espinosa said, “and things don’t phase him. And when we all play that way, that’s when we get these Ws.”

— John Sherrard

Division Ii

Eastlake 4, Glendora 1: Glendora lost in the first round of the CIF Division II regional playoffs.

Glendora (23-11) managed just four hits in the loss to Chula Vista Eastlake (21-10-1).

The Tartans gave up three runs in the fourth and that proved to be the difference.

John Seader drove in the Tartans’ only run with a single in the fifth inning that scored Mason Danison, who had two hits in the contest.

Tanner Grable’s double was the Tartans’ only extra-base hit.

Glendora won its first CIF Southern Section title since 2010 on Saturday when it defeated San Dimas, 2-0, in the Division 3 final.

SOFTBALL

Division Iv

Rio Hondo Prep 9, Taft 3: Rio Hondo Prep scored six runs in the third inning to surge ahead of visiting Taft in the first round of the CIF Division IV regional playoffs.

Rio Hondo Prep (21-6) advances to today’s semifinal in Santa Maria against No. 1 seed Pioneer Valley (20-12), which had a first-round bye.

The Kares were coming off a 4-1 loss Saturday to University in the CIF-SS Division 6 title game.

The Kares trailed 3-2 when they turned things around in the third inning.

After Ryen Covey’s RBI single tied the score, Madison Burl’s double drove in Allie Scott for a 4-3 lead.

Evonny Ortega kept the rally going with an RBI single, and Bella Fairley slugged a three-run home run to give the Kares an 8-3 lead.

Covey was 3 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Tara Riley finished with two hits, including a solo home run in the sixth inning.

Scott pitched a complete game, allowed six hits with eight strikeouts.