Sierra Canyon baseball tops Notre Dame with rally in 7th inning

SHERMAN OAKS — A seventh-inning rally powered Sierra Canyon’s baseball team to a 3-2 win over Notre Dame in a Mission League game Wednesday.

It was the Trailblazers’ 12th win in 13 games.

“(Today’s game) had some playoff intensity to it, which is what we need,” Sierra Canyon head coach Tom Meusborn said. “We were tested today.”

Sierra Canyon (17-4 overall) improved to 8-3 in the Mission League and took over second place in the standings. Notre Dame (14-7 overall) dropped to 7-4 in league. The two teams will meet again Wednesday at Sierra Canyon’s Siegel Field at 3:30 p.m.

Notre Dame entered Wednesday’s game on a five-game losing streak during which it had scored a combined six runs and had been shut out three times.

For a while, it looked as though Notre Dame was going to get back on the winning track.

With the score tied in the bottom of the sixth, Notre Dame center fielder Dru Wilson singled on the first pitch of the inning. A few pitches later, Wilson stole second base and left fielder Jake Noroian grounded to second to advance Wilson to third with one out.

Malakye Matsumoto lined a pitch into the right-center field gap, driving in Wilson to give the Knights a 2-1 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Sierra Canyon put runners on the corners with one out and the Knights brought in right-hander JuJu Diaz-Jones to try to get the final two outs.

Trailblazers right fielder Brayden Goldstein ripped a double to the wall in right field to tie the score 2-2 and put runners on first and second.

“We hit some balls on the screws early on, just at some people, and we just kept, kept fighting and found a way,” Meusbron said.

Sierra Canyon center fielder Teddy Levin walked with two outs to bring up first baseman Mikhal Johnson with the bases loaded. He also walked, which forced in a run and gave Sierra Canyon a 3-2 lead.

“It was a little bit uncharacteristic of us,” Notre Dame co-head coach Nick LaFace said. “Pitching is one of our strengths and it just seemed like they (walks) just came at the worst time.”

Sierra Canyon starting pitcher Armando Solorio kept his team in the game with his strong performance on the mound. Solorio didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning.

“Our defense is great, Solorio said.” Great things happen when you let them put the ball in play.”

Solorio threw just 46 pitches through four innings and went 5 1/3 innings. Utilizing his fastball as well as breaking pitches and changeups, the senior got many batters out on five or less pitches.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Notre Dame had runners on first and second with two outs. Sierra Canyon second baseman Carl McMullan dove to stop a a ground ball and flipped it to a teammate for the final out at second base.

The loss extended Notre Dame’s losing streak to six games.

“The positive is that we have the right guys, good players, to get out of it (losing streak),” LaFace said.