Before Ayala baseball heads into the playoffs, one of the two remaining challengers is Mira Costa High, which they take on this Tuesday for a non-conference game at Ayala’s baseball stadium. Securing these 2 wins would earn them a top-10 ranking among California baseball teams.
To secure this top-10-ranked spot would put them among the likes of Norco High, St. John Bosco, Corona High, and many other schools seen as some of the most competitive not only in the state but across the entire country. Ending this season with two momentum-boosting victories would end Ayala’s regular season on an 11-game winning streak, acting as one of the longest active streaks in their California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division.
But this game started out exactly as planned for the Bulldogs, with Ayala running up the score 7 to the Mustang’s nothing in the first 3 innings. The fourth featured no scoring from both teams, and Ayala marginally changed that with a single run in the 5th. The Mustangs finally put their marks, or better yet, hooves on the game in the 6th and 7th inning, ending with just 3 runs.
The final result came with Ayala overpowering the Mira Costa High Mustangs 8-3 and boosting Ayala’s winning streak to double digits. To say this one was expected is an understatement with the Mustangs having a mediocre season of a 16-12 record, a 6-6 record in their Bay League, but an imposing 12-4 record at home. The majority of their struggles have come on the road, going just 4-8 for away games. However, Ayala has shown their consistency at home and on the road as they win their 11th consecutive home game and an 8-1 away record.
Ayala’s pitcher, Easton Sarmiento (11), was one of many to thank as he struck out 10 pitchers in the 6 innings he pitched. Sarmiento went against 21 batters and only allowed 2 hits and 2 runs. For one inning, Jake Zandbergen acted as Ayala’s second pitcher and faced 5 AB’s. (At Bats). Unfortunately, in those 5, Jake allowed 1 hit, 1 run, and gave up a home run; however, he still managed to strike out 2 batters to close a needed inning. Ayala’s Batting Average boasted an average of .363 and a .440 On Base Percentage. Caleb Trugman (12), Sarmiento, Jrue Hurd (11), and Elijah Duarte (12) were some of the many who helped Ayala obtain this day of hits, racking up 14 hits to the Mustang’s 3.
With just one more game in the regular season, Ayala has to take on the Southern Hill Huskies on May 6th. The Huskies are one of the toughest opponents Ayala took on this season, boasting a record of 21-6 and 9-3 in their Hacienda League, tied for 1st place with Alta Loma High. Despite this, Ayala beat them 15-4 on March 10th, for the largest blowout of the season.
