LANCER 2007 VARSITY GAME SUMMARIES

February 17, 2007:  Lancers 13 - Lancers Alumni 2

In a game much closer than the final score, the Varsity overcame a scrappy Alumni squad by a score of 13-2 at Hart Park.  Playing a nine-inning game, the game remained close until the bottom of the eighth when the Varsity plated seven runs to break it open.  The Alumni received strong pitching from Robert Mansfield (1984) and Kenny Harrison (1998), who between them allowed only one run in four innings of work.  Ryan Miller (1997) led the Alumni offense with two hits and one RBI.  Joel Kott (2002) also collected two hits, scored a run and stole two bases.

The Varsity received fine pitching from six pitchers.  Daniel Renken, Gerrit Cole, and Aaron Gates each threw two scoreless innings.  Andrew Jarvi led the offense with four hits, including an RBI double to drive in the final run of the evening.  Jonathan Kline went 2-3, including a long double to center field which drove in Daniel Gray, who had walked and stolen second.  Brett Wallach singled and walked twice in his lead-off role, and Chris Dickel knocked in two runs with a double down the left-field line.

March 2, 2007:  Lancers 1 - Mission Viejo 0

Brett Wallach led off the bottom of the first inning of the year with a double past the third baseman, and the next batter, sophomore Robby Vaughn, in his first varsity at bat, grounded a single up the middle to drive in the only run of the game in the Lancers 1-0 season-opening victory over Mission Viejo.  The Lancers and Diablos played before a good crowd of about 250 at Hart Park.  In a rematch of the Newport Elks championship from last year (which the Diablos won), Daniel Renken pitched a gem, allowing only four hits while striking out ten in the complete game shutout.  The Diablos' ace, Cory Mark, kept the Lancers' bats quiet in his fine six innings of work, allowing only another hit by Vaughn and a single by Daniel Gray.  Jonathan Kline made a nice dig at first base to end the game, stranding the tying run at third base.  Record:  1-0.

March 3, 2007:  Lancers 5 - Huntington Beach 3

Gerrit Cole, Justin Lambert and Brandon Mauer combined to throw a one-hitter at the Huntington Beach Oilers, leading the Lancers to a 5-3 victory in the second round of the Newport Elks Tournament at Hart Park.  Brett Wallach again led off the game with a hit, coming in to score on an RBI single by Aaron Gates.  Tyler Smith scored on another hit by Brett Wallach in the third, and the Lancers plated their final three runs in the fourth inning on a two RBI double by Gerrit Cole and an RBI single by sophomore Pierce Bily, his first Varsity hit.  The Lancers again played errorless ball, though a few wild pitches and passed balls allowed the Oilers' three runs, all unearned, to score.  Justin Lambert induced a ground ball to Daniel Gray at third to work out of a sixth-inning jam, and Brandon Mauer pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up the save in his first Varsity appearance.  Gerrit Cole (1-0) earned the win, throwing 5.2 innings, permitting just one hit, striking out eight, and allowing only three unearned runs.  Record:  2-0.

March 5, 2007:  Lancers 10 - ML King (Riverside) 1

The Lancers (3-0) moved into the semifinals of the Newport Elks tournament behind the fine pitching of Justin Lambert, who held the ML King (Riverside) Wolves to just one run in six innings, as the Lancers cruised to a 10-1 win at Hart Park.  Justin allowed just five hits, struck out five, and walked none.  Daniel Gray started the offense with an RBI double in the first, and he added RBI singles in the third and sixth, as well as an RBI hit-by-pitch in the fourth for a total of four RBI.  Robby Vaughn continued his strong play with two singles and two walks, scoring three runs.  The Lancers jumped out to a four-run lead in the third on a two-RBI single by Andrew Jarvi, and then put the game away with five runs in the sixth.  Tyler Smith's double opened the inning, and Tyler scored on a single by Brett Wallach (2-4). Aaron Gates added an RBI triple later in the inning.  James Munoz pitched a scoreless seventh to wrap up the Lancers' third consecutive victory.  Record:  3-0.

March 7, 2007:  Foothill 2 - Lancers 1

Aaron Gates (0-1) pitched 5.2 quality innings against Foothill in the semifinal of the Newport Elks Tournament at Foothill High School.  Not having allowed a run when he left the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, he had to accept the tough-luck loss when the next batter lined a two-run single, lifting the Knights to a tense 2-1 victory.  In the top of the sixth, the Lancers (3-1) finally broke a scoreless tie, when Daniel Gray legged out an infield single, James Munoz bunted him to second, and Gerrit Cole rifled a single to left to score the run.  Earlier in the game, the Lancers had opportunities to score, but the failure to move runners along hurt.  Tyler Smith and Brett Wallach both collected two singles, and Robby Vaughn and Aaron Gates had the other Lancer hits.  Record:  3-1.

March 9, 2007:  Lancers 20 - Tesoro 3

Taking their frustrations out after the tough Foothill loss, the Lancers pounded out a score of runs in an easy 20-3 victory over Tesoro in the final game of the Newport Elks Tournament at Tesoro High School.  After scoring a quick four runs in the top of the first, the Lancers exploded for FIFTEEN runs in the second, batting around twice.  Gerrit Cole led the offense with two home runs and three RBI, and Robby Vaughn continued his hot hitting with a 4 for 5 day.  Jonathan Kline's bat heated up with three hits, including a double.  Aaron Gates hit two doubles, driving in two, and Daniel Gray drove in three.  With the big lead, Daniel Renken (2-0) put in a nice performance on the mound, allowing just one earned run in four innings.  Michael Springer and Billy Vinovich each picked up their first varsity hits among the 24 that the Lancers amassed, and Andrew Jarvi came alive with two hits and three RBI.  The Lancers finished the Elks tournament with a fine 4-1 record.  Record 4-1.

March 14, 2007:  Lancers 6 - Pacifica 2

Pacifica starting pitcher Tim Carrera shut down the Lancers' offense for five innings, as the Mariners scratched out a 2-0 lead, but the Lancers came back against the relief pitcher to claim a 6-2 victory at Pacifica High School.  Andrew Jarvi lashed a double to left-center field in the sixth inning to drive in the Lancers' first run, and he scored the second on an RBI single by Jonathan Kline to tie the game.  In the top of the seventh, Andrew Jarvi launched a line shot over the fence in right-center field for a grand slam, knocking in Tyler Smith (single), Aaron Gates (intentional walk), and Daniel Gray (single) in front of him.  Jonathan Kline came in the bottom of the seventh with two on and one out, striking out both batters that he faced to earn the save.  Gerrit Cole pitched a solid four innings, allowing two runs.  Justin Lambert pitched a scoreless fifth, and Aaron Gates (1-1) worked out of a jam in the sixth and received the win.  Jarvi finished the day 3 for 4, with two runs scored and five RBI, as the Lancers finished their pre-league portion of the season.  Record:  5-1.

March 16, 2007:  Lancers 6 - Servite 3

Behind solid pitching and hitting, the Lancers won their first-ever Trinity League game 6-3 over a fine Servite squad before a large crowd at Hart Park.  In a headliner between the teams' two aces, both Daniel Renken and the Friars' Dan Klein pitched well.  James Munoz drove in the first run with a single in the second inning, and the Lancers plated three runs in the third on an RBI double by Aaron Gates and a two-RBI double off the left field fence by Gerrit Cole.  Servite narrowed the lead to two, but the Lancers answered with a run in the fifth on a lead-off double by Daniel Gray, who later scored on a sacrifice fly by Gerrit Cole.  After the Friars scored an unearned run in the sixth, Austin Bell scored the Lancers' final run on an RBI single by Aaron Gates.  Brett Wallach continued his hot hitting with two more hits.  Daniel Renken (3-0) pitched five strong innings to pick up the win, allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out eight.  Justin Lambert earned his first save of the season, pitching two strong innings without allowing an earned run.  Record:  6-1, 1-0.

March 21, 2007:  Santa Margarita 5 - Lancers 4 (10 inn.)

The ball did not fall the Lancers way as they lost a tough 5-4 contest in ten innings at Santa Margarita High School.  At first the outlook seemed bright as the Lancers (6-2, 1-1) jumped out to a two-run lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by Aaron Gates.  In the second, Tyler Smith singled in Pierce Bily, and a sacrifice fly by Andrew Jarvi in the third increased the lead to four.  An error allowed the Eagles to score two in the third, and they tied the game in the fifth.  Neither team could push across a run for the next four innings though the Lancers had chances almost every inning.  Twice line shots to shortstop ended innings with a runner on third, but in the end, the Eagles pieced together a run in the bottom of the tenth with a walk, an infield hit and a sacrifice fly.  Record:  6-2; 1-1.

March 23, 2007:  Lancers 3 - Mater Dei 0

The Lancers reclaimed a share of first place in the Trinity League behind a dominating shut-out performance by Daniel Renken in a 3-0 victory over Mater Dei at Hart Park.  Robby Vaughn knocked in the only runs Renken needed in the second inning with a two-out bases-loaded single over the second baseman's head, driving in Daniel Gray (walk) and Gerrit Cole (single).  Mater Dei's starter, sophomore Aaron Northcraft pitched effectively but could not completely shut down the Lancers' offense.  Vaughn finished the game two for two and scored the third run on an RBI single by Jonathan Kline, who also had two hits in the game.  Daniel Renken (4-0) had all of his pitches working, striking out eleven Monarchs while walking only one and allowing just four singles in his second shut-out of the season.  The other Lancers with hits were James Munoz and Aaron Gates, and the defensive play of the game was made by Brett Wallach, ranging deep behind second base from his shortstop position to snag a grounder and then making a strong, accurate throw to first.  Record:  7-2, 2-1.

March 28, 2007:  Lancers 9 - St. John Bosco 3

Three big doubles drove in eight of the Lancers' (8-2, 3-1) nine runs in their 9-3 victory at St. John Bosco High School.  Brett Wallach's double in the second inning drove in James Munoz and Cody Ratliff (both of whom walked) with the Lancers' first two runs.  Brett finished the game 5 for 5, with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI.  With the score tied 2-2 in the fifth, Gerrit Cole cleared the bases with a three-RBI double to right center, and in the sixth, Daniel Gray followed suit, lining a bases-loaded double to the left-center field wall, driving in Brett Wallach (single), Jonathan Kline (bunt single), and Aaron Gates (walk).  Justin Lambert (2-0) pitched 5.2 effective innings, allowing the Braves just three runs while striking out five and earning the win.  Brandon Mauer entered the game with runners on first and third and two outs in the sixth, striking out the only batter he faced to get out of the jam.  Record:  8-2, 3-1.

March 31, 2007:  Lancers 3 - J. Serra 1

The Lancers' excellent pitching continued as Daniel Renken and Gerrit Cole combined for a five-hitter, and the Lancers (9-2, 4-1) scratched out enough offense to win 3-1 at J. Serra High School.  Facing J. Serra's ace, Cory Kohnke, the best pitcher the Lancers have faced this year, hits were hard to come by.  The first two runs scored without the benefit of a hit.  Brett Wallach led off the game with a walk and eventually scored on an RBI groundout by Aaron Gates.  In the second, two walks and a hit batter led to James Munoz scoring on a wild pitch.  Aaron Gates drove in the final run in the seventh with a double down the right field line.  Daniel Renken (5-0) pitched four innings, allowing just one run while striking out five.  Gerrit Cole's fastball overpowered the Lions, as he struck out seven in just three innings, earning the save.  Brett Wallach picked up two more hits and scored two runs.  The defensive play of the game came on a foul ball to left field when Jimmy Sandford sacrificed his body, running into and flipping over the fence.  Jonathan Kline and Tyler Smith had the other hits for the Lancers.  Record:  9-2; 4-1.

April 2, 2007:  Servite 5 - Lancers 4 (9 inn.)

A home run over the short center field fence by the Servite Friars in the bottom of the seventh tied the game, and a couple of wild pitches in the ninth allowed the winning run to score as the Lancers lost 5-4 at Servite High School.  Both teams squandered many opportunities in the three and a half hour game.  Aaron Gate's home run in the first put the Lancers out in front, and an RBI single by Gerrit Cole in the fifth drove in Brett Wallach (two hits).  Servite pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead, but a pinch hit double by Michael Springer drove in Jimmy Sandford with the tying run, and a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Kline put the Lancers up by a run.  Billy Vinovich, in his first start as a Lancer, had two hits and a walk, a run scored and a stolen base.  Record:  9-3, 4-2.

April 4, 2007:  Lancers 8 - Servite 0

The Servite defense let down their ace pitcher, Dan Klein, committing five errors and failing to make several other plays as the Lancers posted an 8-0 win on April 4, 2007 at Hart Park.  Andrew Jarvi, back in the starting line up after an injury, drove in two runs in the first inning on a single that eluded the third-baseman's glove.  The Lancers (10-3, 5-2) added two more in the second on an RBI single past the third baseman by Brett Wallach and a Servite error.  Three more runs in the third put the game away.  Daniel Gray led off with a double down the left field line and scored on Billy Vinovich's RBI single.  Two more runs scored via another error.  The early lead allowed Daniel Renken to pick up his sixth win without a loss, as he used his change-up and curveball effectively.  Renken pitched six innings, allowing just four hits while striking out eight.  Justin Lambert pitched the scoreless seventh.  Jonathan Kline, Jimmy Sandford, Austin Bell, and Tyler Smith added hits for the Lancers.  Record:  10-3, 5-2.

April 11, 2007:  Lancers 6 - Bellflower 5 (Bishop Gorman Easter Classic in Las Vegas)

The Lancers held on to win 6-5 over Bellflower in the first game of the Bishop Gorman Easter Classic in Las Vegas.  Though they only managed four hits in the game, the Buccaneers allowed eleven walks and hit batters.  Brett Wallach's 2-RBI double in the second inning opened the scoring, and Jonathan Kline immediately followed with a long home run to right-center field to push the score to 4-0.  Bellflower swung well, however, and narrowed the score to 4-2, until Daniel Gray's bases-loaded single in the fourth knocked in two more.  Again Bellflower scratched back and narrowed the lead to one when the game was called after six innings due to the tournament time limit.  Justin Lambert (3-0) earned the win in relief, and Brandon Maurer pitched a 1-2-3 sixth for the save.  Gerrit Cole hit a double for the Lancers' other hit. Record:  11-3, 5-2

April 12, 2007:  Lancers 19 - Belen Jesuit (Miami, FL) 0 (2 inn.) (Bishop Gorman Easter Classic in Las Vegas)

On a miserably cold and windy morning in Las Vegas, the Lancers made short work of Belen Jesuit of Miami, FL, scoring thirteen runs in the first inning of a weather-shortened 19-0 victory.  EVERYBODY seemed to have a hit (seventeen in all) for the Lancers.  Andrew Jarvi led the offense with a home run, two doubles and seven RBI.  Jonathan Kline batted 3 for 3 with a triple, three runs scored and three RBI while Jimmy Sanford went 2-2 with three runs scored and two RBI.  Robby Vaughn had a big 2-RBI single in the first and two hits for the game, and Daniel Gray added two hits, including an RBI double into the stiff wind off the left-center field fence.  After the explosion in the first inning, the Lancers added six more in the second.  Play started in the third when the wind gusted even harder and the rain started to the point that the umpire delayed the game.  Since the two-hour time limit was nearing, Belen Jesuit conceded the game.  Gerrit Cole pitched the first and was credited with the victory, and Jimmy Sandford pitched the scoreless second.  Record 12-3, 5-2.

April 12, 2007:  Monterey 2 - Lancers 1 (Bishop Gorman Easter Classic in Las Vegas)

Jonathan Kline pitched a complete-game seven-hitter in the afternoon game, but again he ended up as the hard-luck loser, as the Lancers could only push across one unearned run in the 2-1 loss to Monterey (the eventual tournament winner) in game three of the Bishop Gorman Easter Classic.  After allowing a run in the first, Kline shut down the Toreadores for the next five innings, striking out eight, but the Lancers could get nothing started at the plate.  Austin Bell and Jonathan Kline each hit a double and single but did not score.  Finally in the sixth, Brett Wallach beat out a beautiful bunt down the third base line and advanced to third on a throwing error by Monterey.  He later scored on an error by the shortstop to tie the game.  Unfortunately, a hit batter and passed ball led to an unearned run in the top of the seventh.  The Lancers loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but two pop flies ended the game.  With the loss, the Lancers finished second in its pool.  Record:  12-4, 5-2.

April 13, 2007:  Bishop Amat 6 - Lancers 3 (9 inn.) (Bishop Gorman Easter Classic in Las Vegas)

Despite a fine performance on the mound and at the plate by Aaron Gates, the Lancers lost their second straight game as Bishop Amat plated three runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat the Lancers 6-3 in the fourth game of the Bishop Gorman Easter Classic in Las Vegas.  Aaron threw eight quality innings, allowing just two earned runs on five hits while striking out eight.  After Bishop Amat scored an unearned run in the first, Aaron Gates singled in the second and scored on a line drive single by Austin Bell.  Down by a run in the sixth, Aaron Gates led off the inning with a home run far over the right field fence.  Bishop Amat again took a one-run lead into the bottom of the seventh when Brett Wallach led off with a double, moved to third on a single by Jonathan Kline, and scored on an RBI groundout by Andrew Jarvi.  In extra innings, Tyler Smith and Gerrit Cole made excellent defensive plays to preserve the tie, but the Lancers could not match the three runs by Bishop Amat in the top of the ninth.  Record:  12-5, 5-2.

April 14, 2007:  Lancers 4 - Carmel 3 (Bishop Gorman Easter Classic in Las Vegas)

After their 4-3 win over Carmel in the seventh-place game of the Bishop Gorman Easter Classic in Las Vegas, the Lancers happily drove home, finishing the tournament with a 3-2 record.  The Lancers' excellent pitching continued as Justin Lambert allowed just one run in five innings of work, striking out eight while permitting only two hits.  In his first appearance on the mound this season, Brett Wallach pitched the final two innings without allowing an earned run, but two unearned runs scored in the top of the seventh due to an error, tying the game 3-3.  However, in the bottom of the inning, Aaron Gates worked a lead-off walk, proceeded to third on a throwing error by the catcher on a pick-off, and scored on a soft single to center by Andrew Jarvi.  The Lancers took the lead in the fourth inning, when Gerrit Cole (single and stolen base) scored on an RBI double by Tyler Smith, who later scored on a bases-loaded walk.  Pierce Bily extended the lead with a two-out RBI single in the sixth.  Cody Ratliff caught a strong game and added a line-drive single and a hit-by-pitch.  Record:  13-5, 5-2.

April 18, 2007:  Lancers 8 - Santa Margarita 4

RBI hits by Aaron Gates (2 hits, 3 RBI), Jonathan Kline (2 hits, RBI) and Andrew Jarvi (3 hits, 2 RBI) helped the Lancers (14-5, 6-2) score the first eight runs of the game before settling for an 8-4 Trinity League victory over Santa Margarita at Hart Park.  Jonathan Kline earned the win on the mound, pitching 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and four strike outs.  Brandon Maurer came in with the bases loaded in the fifth and struck out the batter to end the inning.  Justin Lambert earned his second save of the season by recording the final out with two men on in the seventh.  In the fourth inning, Austin Bell reached base with a key two-out bunt hit, which led to a four-run inning, putting the game away.  Record:  14-5, 6-2.

April 21, 2007:  Lancers 8 - Santa Margarita 3

The seniors came through in the Lancers' convincing 8-3 win over a tough Santa Margarita squad at the Eagles' home field.  After a scoreless first, the Lancers plated four in the second behind RBI hits by senior Daniel Gray (double), junior Tyler Smith, senior Brett Wallach and senior Jonathan Kline.  In the third, the hot-hitting senior Andrew Jarvi, who lined out to deep center in the first, hit a towering solo home run just inside the left-field foul pole.  Daniel Renken (7-1), also a senior, kept the Eagles off the board, though he did not have his best stuff.  The Eagles managed base-runners in every inning, but Daniel worked out of each of the first six innings without allowing a run.  The Lancers put the game away in the seventh when junior Aaron Gates blasted a long home run to right field and Daniel Gray added a two-RBI single to drive in Andrew Jarvi (single) and sophomore Pierce Bily (double).  Renken finally tired in the the seventh when the Eagles scored three runs (two unearned), but junior Brandon Maurer came in to record the final out.  Record:  15-5, 7-2.

April 25, 2007:  Mater Dei 5 - Lancers 4 (8 inn.)

In a first-place showdown, the Mater Dei Monarch came from behind to nip the Lancers 5-4 in eight innings at Mater Dei.  Failure to sacrifice four times cost the Lancers a couple of runs in the game, but the Lancers built a 4-1 lead behind an RBI single by Aaron Gates in the third inning, an RBI double by Jonathan Kline in the fifth, and two bases-loaded walks in the sixth.  Unfortunately, the Lancers walked in two runs in the bottom of the sixth, and in the seventh a routine line-drive cleared the fence for a home run in the tiny Mater Dei field.  A big error in the bottom of the eighth forced the Lancers to walk the bases loaded with one out.  A strike out recorded the second out, but a line drive down the left-field line was ruled fair by the home-plate umpire in a controversial call (to be kind) to drive in the winning run for Mater Dei.  Daniel Gray hit 4 four 4 for the Lancers, Jimmy Sandford was 1 for 1 with two walks, a hit-by-pitch and two runs scored, and Brett Wallach collected two hits.  Record:  15-6, 7-3

April 28, 2007:  Mater Dei 2 - Lancers 0

Freshman Matt Blanchard of Mater Dei completely baffled the Lancers, throwing a no-hitter in the Monarchs' 2-0 victory before a large crowd at Hart Park.  The win gave Mater Dei a strong hold on first place in the Trinity League with just four games to play.  In the first inning, Jonathan Kline and Aaron Gates both hit shots right at fielders, but for the rest of the game, only Pierce Bily's drive to the warning track in left field was well hit.  Blanchard placed his fastball perfectly and used an excellent change-up to keep the Lancers off-balanced, striking out ten.  Blanchard out-pitched Daniel Renken, who threw an excellent game as well, allowing only one earned run on six hits in the complete came loss.  The only other highlight for the Lancers (15-7, 7-4) was Aaron Gates' excellent catch of a drive to the warning track in dead center field.  The Lancers coaches and players displayed class in the loss, congratulating Blanchard for his accomplishment, including an embrace from Daniel Renken.  Record:  15-7, 7-4.

May 2, 2007:  Lancers 5 - St. John Bosco 3

Down 2-1 at the time, the Lancers plated four runs in the fifth inning and eventually held off a determined St. John Bosco by a score of 5-3 at Hart Park.  The Braves scored two unearned runs in the top of the first, but Aaron Gates singled in a run for the Lancers (16-7, 8-4) in the bottom of the inning.  After leaving the bases loaded in the fourth inning without scoring, the Lancers finally broke through in the fifth.  Brett Wallach (1-2, 2 W, 2 R) singled and advanced to second on an error.  Jonathan Kline sacrificed, but when the first baseman threw that ball away, he ended up on second.  Wallach scored on a wild pitch, and after Aaron Gates (1-2, W, R, RBI) and Andrew Jarvi (3 W, R) walked, Daniel Gray (2-3, 2 RBI) rifled a single past the drawn-in infield to drive in two.  Tyler Smith finished the scoring by looping a RBI single to left.  Jonathan Kline pitched five innings to pick up the win, allowing only one earned run while striking out five.  Brandon Maurer pitched the final two innings, allowing no runs and striking out four to earn the save.  Record:  16-7, 8-4.

May 5, 2007:  Lancers 7 - St. John Bosco 6

Perhaps we can blame the after-effects of the previous night's Senior Prom, but the Lancers probably played their poorest game of the season, yet with six runs in the last two innings, they pulled out a dramatic 7-6 victory at St. John Bosco.  Due to numerous errors and other poor fielding, the Braves built a 5-1 lead after five innings, all of their runs unearned.  The tired Lancers (17-7, 9-4) finally awakened in the sixth.  Pierce Bily and Cody Ratliff walked, and Brett Wallach singled in Bily.  After a perfect bunt single by Jonathan Kline loaded the bases, Aaron Gates rocketed a double to center field to clear the bases and tie the game at fives.  Unfortunately, two hit-batsmen led to a Braves run in the bottom of the sixth.  However, the Lancers rose from the ashes in the seventh.  Gerrit Cole beat out an infield single and took third on a two-out single by Brett Wallach (3-4, W, 3 R, RBI), who took second on the throw.  This led to a dramatic two-out, two-strike single to center by Jonathan Kline (3 hits, R, 2 RBI) just beyond the diving glove of the Brave's second baseman.  A key defensive play by Daniel Gray (1-2, 2 W) in the fourth kept the game close, and Brandon Maurer (Win) and Gerrit Cole (Save) pitched well in relief.  Andrew Jarvi had an RBI Sacrifice Fly and two hits.  Record:  17-7, 9-4.

May 7, 2007:  Lancers 4 - J. Serra 3

Nothing went the Lancers' way in this game until the bottom of the seventh when J. Serra walked four batters in a row, all with two outs and the last two with the bases loaded to drive in the tying and winning runs in the Lancers' 4-3 win at Hart Park.  The Lions scored single runs in the first two innings, to take a 2-1 lead, the Lancers (18-7, 10-4) plating one run in the first on a long double off the left-field wall by Brett Wallach who later scored on a groundout by Andrew Jarvi.  The Lions' sophomore pitcher, Dylan Christenson, pitched well, though the Lancers hit several shots, including warning-track fly balls by Gerrit Cole and Jonathan Kline.  Finally in the sixth a clutch hit by, who else, Brett Wallach, drove in Austin Bell who had singled and moved to second on a single by Billy Vinovich.  Two doubles in the top of the seventh pushed the go-ahead run across for J. Serra, which desperately needed this game in their battle with Servite for third place and a play-off spot.  Aaron Gates opened the seventh with a line drive single off the pitcher's foot and moved to third on two outs.  Then Christenson hit the wall, walking in succession Gerrit Cole, Austin Bell, Tyler Smith (RBI) and Robbie Vaughn (RBI) for a crushing loss for the Lions.  Andrew Jarvi, Jonathan Kline and Daniel Gray collected the other hits for the Lancers.  Daniel Renken pitched another complete game in earning his eighth win, allowing just two earned runs on five hits, six strike-outs, and one walk.  Record:  18-7, 10-4.

May 7, 2007:  Lancers 2 - J. Serra 1 (End of regular season)

Coach Grahovac intended for Gerrit Cole to pitch only four innings in the season finale, but Gerrit had other ideas.  With an overpowering fastball and an effective curve, Cole threw six innings of no-hit ball, allowing only two walks in the Lancers 2-1 win at J. Serra.  The Lions finally broke through with a clean single to left.  Coach Grahovac left Gerrit in for one more batter, and he struck out the Lions' best hitter, Gerrit's eleventh strikeout of the game.  J. Serra made it interesting, as they had to win this game to advance to the playoffs.  After Cole left the game, two more hits knocked in one run, and the Lancers intentionally walked the bases loaded with one out.  Brandon Maurer came in and induced a grounder to first on his first pitch.  Andrew Jarvi threw home for one out, and catcher Robbie Vaughn returned it to Andrew for an unusual 3-2-3 game-ending double play.  J. Serra's senior ace, Cory Kohnke, again pitched an excellent game, allowing just four hits, but the Lancers finally broke through in the sixth.  Andrew Jarvi singled Aaron Gates (1-2, W) to third, and Aaron scored on an error by the third baseman on the throw.  Daniel Gray then lined a single to right to move Jarvi to third.  After Daniel stole second, Tyler Smith lifted a sacrifice fly to deep left field to drive in the second and final run.  Final regular season record:  19-7, 11-4 and second place in the Trinity League.

May 18, 2007:  M.L. King (Riverside) 7 - Lancers 0 (First round - CIF Division I playoffs)

In a disappointing finish to the season, the Wolves of M. L. King (Riverside) beat the Lancers, pounding out twelve hits en route to a convincing 7-0 upset of the Lancers in the first-round CIF playoff game at Mt. Sac. College.  The Wolves jumped out to an early lead, scoring four in the top of the first inning.  The Lancers came back to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning, but in a play which set the tone for the game, Daniel Gray's line shot up the middle was snatched by the second baseman, who then turned it into an easy double play.  In the fourth inning, Gerrit Cole smashed a deep fly to the warning track in dead center of the large Mt. Sac. field, missing a three-run home run by a few feet.  Otherwise, the highlights were few and far between for the Lancers.  Jonathan Kline led the offense with three singles, and Billy Vinovich and Austin Bell added pinch-hit singles to account for the Lancers' five hits.  Justin Lambert and Brandon Maurer pitched the final 2.1 innings without allowing a run.  Final Record:  19-8, 11-4 and second place in Trinity League.

2007 Honors and Awards:

Trinity League Co-Most Valuable Player:    Brett Wallach

Trinity League Pitcher of the Year:    Daniel Renken

Trinity All-League First Team:    Daniel Gray, Aaron Gates, and Jonathan Kline

Trinity All-League Second Team:    Andrew Jarvi, Gerrit Cole, and Brandon Maurer

"North-South" Orange County All-Stars:    Daniel Renken and Daniel Gray

Varsity Most Valuable Player:  Brett Wallach

Varsity Most Valuable Pitcher:  Daniel Renken

Varsity Coach's Award:  Chris Dickel and James Munoz

Junior Varsity Most Valuable Player:  Chase Harrison and Garret Gilliland

Junior Varsity Most Valuable Pitcher:  Grahamm Wiest

Junior Varsity Coach's Award:  Nick Burnett

Frosh Most Valuable Player:  Josh Hong

Frosh Most Valuable Pitcher:  Bobby Wheatley

Frosh Coach's Award:  Ryan Forkel

      FINAL 2007 TRINITY LEAGUE STANDINGS