Santa Barbara Eliminated From CIF-SS Division 3 Playoff After 3-0 Loss to Mission Viejo

The Santa Barbara High baseball team brought the winning run to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but couldn’t cash in as visiting Mission Viejo escaped with a 3-0 victory in the opening round of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs on Friday afternoon.

The Dons threatened several times, but never solved Mission Viejo starting pitcher Kennan Anzai, a UC Davis commit, who tossed a complete game shutout.

“They played like champions, there’s nothing more I can say,” said Santa Barbara coach Steve Schuck of his team. “When you’re down all you can ask for is to bring the winning run to the plate and we brought the winning run to the plate.”

Zeke Adderley got the start on the mound for Santa Barbara and was cruising early. Mission Viejo did not muster its first hit of the game until the top of the fourth inning when Anzai singled to lead off the inning.

The Diablos made that first hit count as Anzai came around to score with some nifty base running after a sac bunt by the next batter, Tyler Holland, and an overthrow to third base by Santa Barbara. Adderley minimized the damage by retiring the next two batters, but Mission Viejo’s 1-0 loomed large.

Tosh Whitworth led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single to left field and he advanced to third base after a sac bunt by Derek Jaye and a wild pitch by Anzai. It appeared the Dons would tie the score when Adderley hit a high chopper to shortstop with two outs, but Holland, an Arkansas commit, made a spectacular play fielding the short hop before making a spinning throw that narrowly beat Adderley to first base.

In the top of the sixth inning, Adderley walked the first two batters he faced and Anzai followed with a double to the left-center field fence increasing the Mission Viejo lead to 3-0. Adriano Martinez came on in relief for Santa Barbara and retired the next three batters to escape the inning. 

“It was one of the moments as a coach where you wonder with runners on first and second and no outs should we sac bunt,” said Mission Viejo coach Daniel Holley. “He’s been our best hitter all year so we let him hit and obviously it worked out well.”

Kai Mault legged out an infield single with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Santa Barbara stranded him on base and Martinez retired Mission Viejo in order in the top of the seventh.

The Dons did not go down quietly as Whitworth was hit by a pitch with one-out in the bottom of the seventh inning and pinch hitter Braden Becchio reached base on a ground ball that slipped through the Mission Viejo third baseman’s legs. 

After another Anzai strikeout, Adderley came back from an 0-2 count to work a walk to load the bases. Senior Cal Lutheran commit Liam Keithley came up to the plate representing the winning run, but Anzai notched another strikeout to clinch the victory for Mission Viejo.

Santa Barbara concludes a resurgent season with an 18-7 overall record and a Channel League Championship.

The Diablos will take on Chaminade in a second round game on Tuesday.