Arcadia wins Pacific League title with a victory over CV

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

Gus Cooper tosses a shutout and Julian Salmon provides a clutch two-RBI single as Arcadia wins its sixth straight league championship

Arcadia’s Damian Catano celebrates after scoring on a two-run single by Julian Salmon during Tuesday’s game against Crescenta Valley. Arcadia went on to a 9-0 victory. photos by Keith Birmingham / staff photographer

Arcadia pitcher Gus Cooper shut out Crescenta Valley on five hits to pick up the win in Tuesday’s game.

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By Gabriel Duarte

correspondent

ARCADIA — The Arcadia baseball team captured its sixth consecutive Pacific League title Tuesday as Gus Cooper pitched a shutout for the Apaches in a 3-0 win over Crescenta Valley.

“It’s special,” Arcadia coach Nick Lemas said about winning his ninth league title with the program. “It’s not easy. We’ve had some good clubs over the years, but even if you’re good doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to win. It’s been a grind, it’s been a testament to our program.”

Arcadia is 23-2 overall and 13-0 in league. Crescenta Valley falls to 19-6 overall and 10-3 in league.

Cooper, the reigning SGV boys athlete of the week, was bursting with confidence coming into the start after throwing a no-hitter in his last outing against Burroughs.

“I was just really confident in my team to back me up (and) get some runs behind me,” Cooper said. “I was just doing my part. I try not to think too much and just play my game.”

Cooper allowed only five hits over seven innings, shutting down a red-hot Crescenta Valley offense.

“He’s been like that all year long,” Lemas said. “He’s pretty special, he’s doing some great things on the mound for us and he competes. He does a great job.”

The senior has yet to be figured out by opposing offenses. He has an 0.30 ERA and 7-0 record.

Arcadia’s offense was powered by Julian Salmon. The junior third baseman finished 2 for 3 with a two-RBI single in the fourth inning that put the Arcadia ahead for good.

“Thank God, luckily I came up in that big situation, scoring those two runs,” Salmon said. “I had Cooper’s back. He was pitching all game, just competing up there so you know I had to back up my boy and come through.”

Crescenta Valley starter Mike Herman made it a pitchers’ duel through the first three innings.

Apart from a leadoff double from the Falcons to begin the game, neither team could get anything going offensively as each pitcher efficiently moved through the lineup.

The Apaches’ offense was able to break through in the bottom of the fourth inning when Salmon struck for a two-RBI single.

Two batters later, Maverick Silva delivered an RBI single to push Arcadia’s lead to 3-0.

“We got some good hitters and we strung it together and we’re able to get a guy across,” Lemas said. “It was a big at-bat from Salmon to get those guys in.”

The run support was more than enough for Cooper, who powered his way through three more shutout innings to earn the win.

“That’s definitely huge,” Cooper said of the three runs Arcadia scored in the fourth. “I was hyping up my teammates, dugout was great…That feels really great as a pitcher knowing I can go out there with a lead to work with and that was just really big.”

Crescenta Valley will look to even the season series Friday as they host the Apaches in the Pacific League finale.