La Mirada baseball team defeats Downey, still unbeaten in Gateway

HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP

La Mirada’s Jason Rodriguez, shown here batting against Corona this past Friday, singled home two runs in the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie and help the Matadores beat Downey in a Gateway League game Tuesday. file Photo by Jeff Antenore

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By Fred Robledo

frobledo@scng.com

A recap of the San Gabriel Valley’s high school baseball and softball games Tuesday.

BASEBALL

La Mirada 4, Downey 3: Locked in a 2-2 tie, Matadores senior Jason Rodriguez singled home Kevin Jeon and Aiden Aguayo in the fifth inning for a 4-2 lead, and the Matadores held on despite giving a run back in the sixth inning.

La Mirada, which lost to Corona for the second time this season in the championship game of the Boras Classic at JSerra on Friday, improved to 11-2 and 5-0 in the Gateway League. The Vikings dropped to 12-5 and 3-1.

Jeon was 2-for-3 with a solo home run and Aguayo had a double.

Jacob Oropeza started and went 2 1/3 innings, giving up two runs with three strikeouts. Donald Murray came in and settled things down over 3 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and a run. Connor Jones pitched a scoreless seventh to close it out.

Bingham (Utah) 6, Damien 2: The Spartans (4-7) lost their second straight game in the National Classic, losing to the Miners at Cypress High School. La Habra beat the Spartans 9-2 in the first round on Monday.

Spartans pitcher Jojo Moreno gave up three runs in the first inning. The Spartans got one back in the third inning when Russell Del Castillo doubled home Gino Tarzia to cut the Miners lead to 3-1.

But Bingham responded with two runs in the fourth inning to stretch its lead to 5-1.

Elius Kelly had a double and scored for the Spartans, who only managed six hits of the Miners’ staff.

Covina 19, Wilson 2: Junior Lucas Thorpe was 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs to lead the Colts (6-5, 1-0) in their Valle Vista League opener. The Colts will finish their two-game with Wilson on the road Thursday.

The Colts’ Declan Bowers was 2-for-2 with two RBIs, three runs scored and Ricky Alvarez drove in three runs. The Colts pounded out 17 hits. Donovan Johnson and Ryan Silva each had doubles.

Bowers started and went three innings, allowing two runs with four strikeouts. Diego Lopez threw two no-hit innings with four strikeouts to close out.

Bishop Amat 5, Yorba Linda 0: The Lancers bounced back from Monday’s 5-1 loss to Liberty in the first-round of the National Classic with a pitching gem from senior Gavyn Alfaro.

Alfaro tossed a three-hit shutout with four strikeouts as the Lancers beat Yorba Linda to improve to 13-3.

Omar Arretche got the Lancers going with a three-run homer in the first inning, and they tacked on runs in the second and fourth innings to extend their lead.

Jacob Campos doubled in a run and Joaquin Ortiz was 2 for 2.

Royal 3, San Marino 0: The Titans, who were on a three-game winning streak, couldn’t get anything going.

The Titans only managed one hit off Royals’ starter Isaiah Tillman, who had 12 strikeouts over six innings before giving way to Brady Hewitt to close the seventh.

Royal improved to 13-2 while dropping San Marino to 12-4.

SOFTBALL

California 16, Whittier 1 (5 innings): Hailey Chavolla belted two home runs, including a grand slam in the second inning, and finished with seven RBIs in the Condors’ victory.

Condors pitcher Pricilla Ramirez was overpowering. Of the 15 outs she recorded in the five-inning win, 12 were strikeouts while allowing just one hit.

The Condors pounded out 16 hits with Mia Martinez smacking two doubles. Abigail Glascock tripled home three runs and Jessica Gurule singled home two more. The Condors improved to 10-6 and 4-0 in the Del Rio League.

Burroughs 2, Muir 1 (10 innings): The Mustangs lost a heartbreaker, giving up a run in the bottom of the 10th inning in their Pacific League opener against a strong Burroughs squad that improved to 10-3 and 1-0.

Erika Wallace’s sacrfice fly gave the Mustangs a 1-0 lead in the second inning. It stayed that way until Burroughs’ Karlee Earl tied the score on a solo home run in the sixth inning. That set the stage for Alyssa Morales, who singled home the walk-off run in the 10 inning for Burroughs.

Muir (9-7, 0-1) pitcher Jazmin Jaquez went five innings and gave up just three hits. Gianna Butler threw the final five innings for the Mustangs, allowing four hits.

El Rancho 13, Santa Fe 3: The Dons scored 10 runs in the third inning to break it open, improving to 9-5-1 and 2-1 in the Del Rio League.

The Dons’ big third including included a grand slam from Malaya Vargas. Delilah Gonzalez hit a solo home run and singled home two more. Noelie Guerrero tripled in a score and Melony Ramirez belted an RBI single.