St. John Bosco Takes Down Orange Lutheran in a Close Pitchers’ Battle
St. John Bosco Triumphs Over Orange Lutheran in Highly Anticipated Pitching Matchup
In a much-anticipated pitching showdown, St. John Bosco defeated Orange Lutheran 4-1 Wednesday night at Hart Park. Both pitchers threw fastballs reaching 95 mph, with Gary Morse striking out eight and allowing two hits over six innings. Julian Garcia, meanwhile, recorded ten strikeouts and also surrendered two hits, including a leadoff home run to Ricardo Hurtado.
The game was tied at 1-1 until St. John Bosco (11-2, 5-0) broke the deadlock in the seventh inning, scoring three runs. This victory marked the Braves’ second consecutive win. Orange Lutheran, ranked No. 1 by The Times after clinching the National High School Invitational, fell to a record of 7-3 overall and 0-2 in the Trinity League.
Closer Jack Champlin entered the game in the seventh inning after the Braves had a leadoff single. He secured the save as the Braves loaded the bases with two outs. They capitalized on a wild pitch to score two runs and added a third on a single by James Clark.
The series continues with the third game set for Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at St. John Bosco.
Other Noteworthy Games
In another exciting matchup, Concord De La Salle edged out Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 1-0. Sam Lakey delivered a two-out solo home run in the seventh inning, while Lachlan Clark struck out ten in an impressive 6 2/3 innings. Notre Dame struggled with two bases-loaded situations but could not capitalize, including an unfortunate double play in the sixth inning.
Several teams also made headlines in other tournament games. Corona Centennial defeated Cypress 5-1 behind Jacob Torres’ complete game and Aiden Simpson’s home run. Vancouver (Wash.) Union managed a narrow 1-0 victory over El Dorado, allowing only three hits.
From a wider perspective, the day’s results reflect the competitive landscape of high school baseball, with numerous teams making their mark in the tournament scene.
