La Mirada Stops No. 1 El Dorado

After La Mirada’s defense denied El Dorado a chance to score the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, its offense delivered and the Matadores knocked out the top-seeded Golden Hawks, 4-3, in a Southern Section Division II second-round baseball game Tuesday at La Mirada.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, La Mirada loaded the bases on two hit batsmen, a stolen base and an intentional walk before Mike Guzman grounded a single to left to score Jeff Nicolini from third, breaking a 3-3 tie.

La Mirada (16-11) advanced to the quarterfinals against Cerritos Gahr, a 3-2 winner over Marina.

Guzman, the team’s No. 7 hitter, also drove in the tying run in the sixth. He lined a single to left off reliever Jerry Miller to score Josh Barton from third to erase the 3-2 lead for El Dorado (23-5).

“Those guys can really hit,” El Dorado Coach Steve Gullotti said. “And their outfielders . . . I haven’t seen anything like that all year. They were the superior team.”

Gullotti watched La Mirada’s outfield record three assists. Center fielder Jim Zurn threw out two El Dorado runners, including the potential go-ahead run at home in the top of the seventh.

With two outs and runners on first and second, El Dorado’s No. 3 hitter, Brandon Downing, lined a single to center field. After leadoff hitter Tyler Sporrer rounded third, Zurn threw a strike to Nicolini, who applied the tag.

“El Dorado was just playing aggressive baseball and that’s what you have to do to try and score runs,” La Mirada Coach Kim Brooks said. “They put the pressure on us to make the plays. Fortunately for us, we were able to meet the challenge.”

La Mirada (16-11) chased El Dorado ace Jordan De Jong, who entered the game with a 9-1 record and a 1.71 earned-run average. Opponents had hit only .228 against De Jong entering the game, but the Matadores tagged him for six hits and two runs in four-plus innings.

Miller (2-1), who has 10 saves, relieved De Jong in the fifth and worked out of a two-on, no-outs situation, allowing no runs, to preserve the 3-2 lead.

He also hit a first-inning home run to give El Dorado a 1-0 lead and the Golden Hawks added two more in the third, to take a 3-2 lead, on an run-scoring groundout by Downing and a La Mirada error.

La Mirada ace Robert Herndon (6-1) pitched a complete game to earn the victory, allowing six hits, two walks, two hit batsmen and striking out one.

In another Division II game:

Cerritos Gahr 3, Marina 2--Adam LaFrance and James Stewart combined on a four-hitter with four strikeouts for Marina (17-11), but they walked eight, including three in a three-run sixth inning. Gahr is 21-7.