Griffins Pull Even With Barons in Sunset Race

Tuesday afternoon’s encounter between Sunset League foes Los Alamitos and Fountain Valley featured every bit of tension you’d expect between two teams vying for one playoff berth. As both teams attempted to extend their seasons beyond this week, the competitive stakes were apparent.

For all the intrigue that accompanied the Griffins’ 4-1 home victory, you have to wonder what we’re in store for when the teams wrap up the regular season against each other on Thursday. Los Alamitos junior Troy Rallings threw a one-hit gem to tie the teams’ season series at one win each and set up a showdown at Fountain Valley for the Sunset League’s final playoff spot.

The victory improved the Griffins' record to 11-13-1 overall and 7-6-1 in league. Fountain Valley fell to 13-9 and 8-6. If the Barons lose on Thursday, they could still reach the playoffs with an at-large bid as their overall record is better than .500. The same can't be said for Los Alamitos. A loss Thursday would end the Griffins season.

“It comes down to one game,” Los Alamitos coach Aaron Moore said. “What more can you ask for than having an opportunity to make the playoffs in your last game?”

The Barons could’ve sealed their postseason destiny with a win at Los Alamitos on Tuesday, but the team’s lineup simply could not solve Rallings. Meanwhile, Marina dealt Edison its first league loss of the season, defeating the soon-to-be Sunset League champion Chargers, 3-2, in Huntington Beach to claim the second of three automatic league playoff berths.

Los Alamitos grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning when left fielder Sam Lorenzini hustled out an infield hit to score first baseman Michael Farris from third base. While Rallings kept the Barons’ batting order off balance, facing only two hitters over the minimum through the first four innings because of walks.

The Griffins seized control of the crucial league clash with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Third baseman Mick Schroeder followed a one-out single by Farris with a walk. Center fielder Patrick Ivison then sent a groundball skipping toward Fountain Valley second baseman Tyler Clouse, who tried two turn an inning-ending double play, but an overthrown toss to first base by shortstop Daniel Patzlaff allowed both runners to score to extend Los Alamitos' advantage to 3-0.

Patzlaff got the Barons’ only hit of the afternoon in the top of the fifth with a groundball that didn’t leave the infield. The shortstop’s single came after Clouse drove home designated hitter Taylor Martin to cut the deficit to 3-1. Martin, who led off the inning with a seven-pitch walk and advanced to third base on a subsequent walk and ground out, scored when Clouse grounded into a fielder’s choice for the second out of the inning.

Los Alamitos responded with a run in the next frame. The Griffins, who’ve been inconsistent at the plate for much of the season, scored their fourth and final run of the contest when Ivison's single plated Lorenzini, who led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to the left-center gap.

“Scoring has been a bit of a problem for us so every time you’ve got a chance to get runs home, you’ve got to make it count,” Moore said. “Our pitching and defense were very solid today and, fortunately, we were able to get enough runs across to win.”

Those runs would be plenty for Rallings, who retired the Barons with ease to end the game in the seventh inning. The junior right-hander led off the inning with his fifth strikeout of the afternoon by fanning Martin, and induced a groundout to shortstop off the bat of pinch-hitter Connor Blitzer with his 110th pitch to bring the contest to a close.

“Troy competed all seven innings,” Moore said. “His pitch count got kind of high by the end, but when a kid comes to me and says, ‘Coach, I want to finish this thing,’ you’ve got to give him the chance to do that. He went out, worked hard and we pulled it out.”

Fountain Valley and Los Alamitos meet once again in their regular-season finale on Thursday afternoon with their postseason lives on the line.

“Obviously, both of us really want to make the playoffs,” Griffins right fielder and leading-hitter Moises Montes said. “We’ve been fighting in the standings all season and now we’re going to have to give our best on Thursday to make it happen.”

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