Northview baseball struggles, loses to Valencia in first round of playoffs

COVINA — Northview’s baseball won the Valle Vista League title this season on the strength of its pitching. The Vikings allowed only three runs over their four games before Friday’s CIF Southern Section Division 4 first-round playoff game against Valencia.

But Valencia scored two runs in the third inning and two more in the seventh, and that was all it needed to defeat Northview, 4-1, Friday.

Valencia advances to Tuesday’s second round against Katella or Dos Pueblos.

Northview senior starter AJ Flores had been the team’s rock all season. He had good moments Friday, but he also fought control issues and allowed seven hits and three walks to go with five strikeouts.

Still, the Vikings had chances to take the lead.

Valencia (14-13) took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a two-run single by Lincoln Hunt.

Northview had a chance for something big in the bottom half of the third. A one-out double by Joey Ramos and three consecutive walks forced in a run to cut Valencia’s lead to 2-1.

But Valencia pitcher Noah Jaquez got a pop out and strikeout to limit the damage in the inning.

“You don’t get many opportunities against good teams, and we had a golden opportunity and we fought back to get one (run) and had bases loaded and one out,” Northview coach Dan Roddy said. “You just have to be better. You have to do better. We had a pop out and you have to have a better at-bat in that situation. At that point in time, it just deflated our bubble a little bit and we just couldn’t bounce back.”

After Flores gave up a walk to start the seventh inning, he was replaced by Jon Hernandez.  After a single and walk to load the bases, Hunt singled in Cole DeYoung and a walk forced in another run to push Valencia’s lead to 4-1.

Northview was fortunate to get out of the inning with only a three-run deficit, but the damage had been done.

Northview finished its season 16-11-1.

“That was definitely the knife that did us in,” Roddy said of the seventh inning. “We needed to go into the (bottom of the seventh) inning down 2-1 and have some life, and it was tough. We gave up three walks and they added two more runs and that’s just tough to bounce back from late in the game.”

Jaquez went the distance, allowed five hits with seven strikeouts. The Vikings never had more than one hit in any inning, which makes it hard to pile on runs.

And Roddy felt for his pitchers, who he has a lot of faith in.

“With AJ and Jon, we just didn’t walk batters this year,” Roddy said. “Unfortunately, they had control issues today. Normally those two were just phenomenal, but we had some control issues and fell a little short.”

Noah Martinez and Adrian Rodriguez led the Vikings with two hits apiece.

FRIDAY’S PLAYOFF SCORES

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION 2

Crean Lutheran 6, La Habra 1

Anaheim Canyon 10, Maranatha 6

Gahr 10, La Salle 0

Trabuco Hills 4, Bonita 3

Mater Dei 3, South Hills 0

DIVISION 4

Valencia 4, Northview 2

Ganesha 2, Burroughs 0

La Canada 6, Downey 5

Sonora 3, Linfield Christian 2

Monrovia 5, Capistrano Valley Christian 3

Oxnard Pacifica 8, California 0

DIVISION 6

Muir 3, Rio Hondo Prep 1

Estancia 10, Alhambra 8

Foothill Tech 3, South El Monte 1

Marshall 6, Leuzinger 0

St. Bonaventure 3, Pasadena 1

Montebello 2, Oakwood 0

Windward at Santa Fe, late game

DIVISION 8

Cate 3, Azusa 2

Westminster La Quinta 2, Rosemead 1

Beverly Hills 10, Pasadena Poly 6

Pioneer 5, Calvary Baptist 0

Arroyo 7, Edgewood 0

Dunn at Duarte, late game