Ayala baseball had an excellent first half of the season, only losing one out of 14 games played. This earned them an impressive 13-1 record with a satisfying 11-game win streak, but that was all risked by facing their strongest challenger yet on April 8, Mater Dei High School, in the Boras Classic tournament.
Bulldog’s baseball has been exceptional this season, represented by a first-place spot in their Palomares Southern Section League and an 11th-place ranking in California. On the other hand, Mater Dei’s Monarchs haven’t had the strongest start as they climbed to a 7-5 record with a win against Newport Harbor a day before; however, they have been consistently ranked top among high schools in California and the nation, as their Trinity League features some of the toughest talent in the country.
Easton Sarmineto (11) was Ayala’s main pitcher, striking out seven out of the 25 batters faced in the five innings he pitched, instrumental in holding the Monarchs’ offense to two total runs. Additionally, Mater Dei’s right-handed pitcher (RHP) Jackson Campbell (12) also struck out the same amount, emphasizing the defensive masterclasses put on by these two teams, which is what this game was all about.
Ayala was seen as the favorite to win this bout, but Mater Dei struck first in the second inning for a lead of 1-0. The Bulldogs followed suit in the third inning with their only run of the game, a home run by Eric Hernandez (12), his second of the season. The next two innings were silent with no team adding to the board, highlighting the defensive talent of the Bulldogs and Monarchs. The game finally trended late in Mater Dei’s direction in the sixth inning, thus scoring another run. They only needed to show more of the defensive performance they’ve been showing the whole game to secure the victory. Unlike earlier, Ayala did not have an answer for the Monarchs, who ended the ball game 2-1.
Instead of Ayala feeling discouraged from a tough loss that inevitably ended their impressive streak, they did something that most teams wouldn’t. They bounced back with a commanding 10-0 shutout against Los Osos High School just two days later. The Monarchs would do the opposite, as their momentum did not carry over as they fell 5-11 to the #1 team in the state, Norco High School.
