St. John Bosco Edges Out Orange Lutheran in Thrilling Baseball Matchup

Orange Lutheran Falls to St. John Bosco in High-Stakes Baseball Matchup

In an intense regular-season opener for a three-game series, top-ranked Orange Lutheran faced No. 2 St. John Bosco on Tuesday at Hart Park. The Lancers arrived fresh off their triumph at the National High School Invitational, but history loomed large; teams returning from North Carolina have often stumbled.

St. John Bosco capitalized on early opportunities, scoring three runs in the first inning off four walks. The game remained tight, with the score tied at 4-4 until James Clark delivered a crucial three-run double with two outs in the sixth inning, securing a 7-4 victory for the Braves.

Brayden Krakowski provided the Braves with three innings of scoreless relief, allowing closer Jack Champlin to rest ahead of the remaining two games of the series. The teams will meet again on Wednesday night, highlighting an exciting pitching matchup between Gary Morse and Julian Garcia.

In other high school baseball action:

• Harvard-Westlake 8, Loyola 0: Junior Justin Kirchner, a Yale commit, struck out 13 and delivered a no-hitter in this Mission League victory. Ira Rootman contributed significantly with a home run and five RBIs.

• JSerra 2, Servite 1: The Lions edged out Servite, thanks to an RBI double from Ayden Coleman and a single from freshman Joey Koenig.

• Mater Dei 5, Santa Margarita 2: Tristan Ramos hit a two-run triple in the top of the ninth inning, overcoming a tying RBI single from Chase Marlow in the seventh.

• Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 2, Temecula Valley 1: JuJu Diaz-Jones secured the win with a swinging strikeout in a tense bottom-of-the-seventh situation, as AJ LaSota pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Notre Dame improved to 14-1.

• Cypress 2, Las Vegas Basic Academy 0: Drew Slevcove delivered a shutout with six strikeouts, leading Cypress into the National Classic semifinals.

• Villa Park 2, Bishop Amat 1: Jack McGuire threw a complete game, striking out nine batters.

• Cleveland 9, Venice 4: Sebastian Castaneda shone for the Cavaliers, driving in four RBIs during their seventh consecutive victory.

• Corona 11, Miami Christian 4: Trey Ebel and Aaron Springston each recorded three RBIs, while Joseph Flores contributed a home run for the Panthers.

• El Dorado 6, Aquinas 1: Brady Abner went three for three, leading the Hawks to victory.

• Sylmar 5, Morse 4: Matthew Torres struck out nine, and Rickee Luevano showcased his prowess with a home run and a triple.

• Calabasas 2, Crespi 1: Jayden Singer pitched four scoreless innings to earn the win.

• Viewpoint 12, Delano Kennedy 1: Shane Anderson had a standout performance, going three for three, while Michael Shaw completed the game on the mound.

Softball Highlights

In softball action, Orange Lutheran edged out JSerra 4-3. Annabel Raftery hit a solo home run, and Angel Jimenez delivered a two-run single, contributing to the Lancers’ Trinity League victory.

Track and Field News

In track and field, junior Zion Phelps of Loyola made an impressive debut in the 100 meters against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, recording a time of 10.56 seconds. The event saw a fierce competition among several football players. Notre Dame’s Beckham Borquez set a school record in the 110 high hurdles with a time of 13.91 seconds, the second-fastest in the state this season. Ejam Yohannes of Loyola won both the 400 meters and 200 meters, adding to the athletic rivalry between the two schools. Both teams will participate in the Arcadia Invitational on April 11.