<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0fvlw0_0snoB1d100" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0fvlw0_0snoB1d100" width="2000" height="1389" ><figcaption>Zeke Adderley started the game on the mound for the Dons, tossing five strong innings while allowing two earned runs. He did not allow a hit until the fourth inning. (Lily Chubb / Noozhawk Photo)</figcaption></figure>Santa Barbara High baseball brought the winning run to the plate in the 7th inning, but ultimately fell just short by a score of 3-0 to Mission Viejo on Friday at Eddie Mathews Field. Mission Viejo’s Keenan Anzai, a UC Davis commit, hurled a complete-game shutout for the Diablos in the opening-round matchup of the CIF-SS Div. 3 playoffs against the Dons. Santa Barbara High’s season comes to an end with an overall record of 18-7 and a Channel League title. “They played like champions, there’s nothing more I can say,” Dons coach Steve Schuck said of his squad. “This team has a heart of a lion and I am so proud of the seniors on this team.” The early stages of the game were dominated by pitching and defense, as Anzai and Zeke Adderley went head-to-head to keep the game scoreless through three innings. The biggest threat of the opening innings came from the Dons’ offense in the bottom of the third when Peter Moschitto and Liam Keithley each singled to put a runner in scoring position with two outs. However, Anzai came through for Mission Viejo by getting the next batter to ground out and keep the game tied up at 0-0. The Diablos finally broke that scoreless tie in the next half inning, and Anzai got it started with an infield single. The next batter laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner to second, but a Santa Barbara High error on the play allowed Anzai to race all the way around the bases to score the game’s first run. From there, Adderley got out of the inning to limit the damage to just one run. Anzai’s leadoff single was the first hit of the game allowed by Adderley. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=495Syj_0snoB1d100" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=495Syj_0snoB1d100" width="730" height="1024" ><figcaption>Tosh Whitworth (pictured) reached base twice for the Dons, including a single in the bottom of the fifth. (Lily Chubb / Noozhawk Photo)</figcaption></figure>The Dons had another chance to strike and tie the game up in the bottom of the fifth when Tosh Whitworth led off the inning with a single. William Firestone came in to pinch run for Whitworth and made his way around to third with one out thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Derek Jaye and a wild pitch. However, once again Anzai stepped up when it mattered and got a strikeout and a groundout that was put away on a difficult play by shortstop Tyler Holland. The Diablos carried that momentum over to the top of the sixth inning, which started with back-to-back walks to bring Anzai to the plate. Anzai got it done with the bat, roping a two-run double into left-center field to expand his team’s lead to 3-0 and force Schuck to turn to the bullpen. Adderley ended the day with five innings pitched, allowing two earned runs and striking out a pair of batters. “Zeke missed on one pitch. He got hurt on one pitch, but he battled like a champion,” Schuck said. “I am so lucky to have him coming back, he’s got the heart of a champion.” From there, Adriano Martinez entered the game in relief and set down Mission Viejo in order in the sixth and seventh innings to give his team a chance to keep the game alive down 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh. After a leadoff strikeout, Whitworth was hit by a pitch and Braden Becchio reached on a Diablo error to put runners on first and second with one out. Anzai then got another strikeout to set up a matchup with Adderley as the tying run. In a back-and-forth battle of an at-bat, Adderley drew a walk to bring up Liam Kiethley as the game-winning run. However, as he had all game long, Anzai stepped up when he was needed most with a strikeout to give his team the 3-0 win. “When you’re down, all you can ask for is to bring the winning run to the plate, and we brought the winning run to the plate,” Schuck said. “We didn’t lose this game, we just ran out of innings. They don’t quit, I didn’t think we were going to lose.” The Diablos will now move on and face off against Chaminade on Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. Meanwhile, the Dons will graduate 10 seniors and look to defend their Channel League title next spring. “This team is the tightest team I’ve ever coached in 20 years of coaching high school baseball,” Schuck said. “I’ll never be able to coach this group again, that’s what hurts for me, I could care less about the scoreboard. “There’s no better way to send out these seniors than with a Channel League championship.” </div></body>

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Santa Barbara High Baseball Blanked by Mission Viejo in CIF-SS Div. 3 Playoff Opener, 3-0

Santa Barbara High baseball brought the winning run to the plate in the 7th inning, but ultimately fell just short by a score of 3-0 to Mission Viejo on Friday at Eddie Mathews Field. Mission Viejo’s Keenan Anzai, a UC Davis commit, hurled a complete-game shutout for the Diablos in...

Santa Barbara High Baseball Blanked by Mission Viejo in CIF-SS Div. 3 Playoff Opener, 3-0

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