Bosco rides huge inning to convincing victory
St. John Bosco second baseman Aaron Garcia (1) forces out a Los Osos player and throws to complete the double play in their non-league baseball game at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower on Tuesday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
BELLFLOWER – The St. John Bosco baseball team has won the last two CIF State So Cal Regional Championships, been in two CIF-Southern Section title games, which included last years D1 Championship, but had only scored more (14) once in the last 71 games.
Needless to say, the Braves are off to a hot start and are living up to their high preseason ranking.
The Braves, under third year coach Andy Rojo, have won 56 games in these past three seasons and are off to a 3-0 start this year after a convincing, 13-1, victory over visiting Los Osos.
“The first couple of games we were head-scratching a little bit,” said Rojo, of his first two wins of the season. ”It was nice to put up a big number. That’s probably one of our biggest innings in the last three years.
“We have the right makeup and if we just do what we’re capable of doing and staying healthy, it’s a good ballclub.”
After scattering five hits and three runs over the first four innings, the Braves exploded for 10 runs in their biggest inning in the last three years.
Leading the charge in the game for Bosco was three players with two hits each – senior shortstop James Clark (2 for 4, Dbl, 2 RBIs, 3 Rs), senior left fielder Noah Everly (2 for 3, HR, 3 RBIs, 3 Rs) and senior third baseman Jack Champlin (2 for 3, 2 RBIs, Dbl., R).
Getting his first win for the Braves was sophomore pitcher Troy Sibolboro going the first four innings. The right hander didn’t allow a base runner until the third inning when he gave up a sharp single up the middle to Los Osos senior center fielder Preston Young. That was it for any kind of rally, as Champlin snagged a ground ball to third and started the double play over to Bosco sophomore second baseman Aaron Garcia and on to senior first baseman Miles Clark.
“I’m pretty excited and I give a lot of support to my pitching staff,” said Sibolboro, who transferred in from St. Paul. “Coach Ruben (Hernandez) has taught me a lot of things.
“Most of the batters I was ahead with my fastball. I learn a lot from these seniors too. It’s a good experience.”
Sibolboro retired the side in the fourth, getting the last two outs with his fifth and sixth strikeouts of the game.
“It was his first start of the season,” said Rojo, of his starter. “He’s a competitive kid and is a quiet kid and a two-way player also. He gave us exactly what we needed in his four innings and kept us in the ballgame, 3-0. Then obviously we had that big inning.”
The Braves opened the game with two early runs in the first inning, as James Clark opened with a single up the middle and came home on an RBI single to left center by Everly for the 1-0 lead. Everly came home with the second run of the inning with another single by senior first baseman Moises Razo (1 for 2, 2 RBIs, R, Sac fly).
Razo also scored the third run after Champlin doubled him home in the third inning for a 3-0 lead.
“In my second at bat (RBI double) I knew what I was looking for and I didn’t miss it,” said Champlin, who is one of the seven senior starters for the Braves.
“That (13 runs) was a huge output for us and it’s a lot of what’s going to come moving forward.”
Champlin will be playing at UC Irvine next season.
The Grizzlies scored their only run of the game off of senior reliever Aidan Dahlk in the top of the fifth inning as senior first baseman Moses Lanza came home on a double play to trail, 3-1. Dahlk then struck out the final batter of the inning and Los Osos (3-5) never threatened again in the final two innings.
The Braves then exploded for 10 runs in the bottom of the half of the inning on only five hits. The Grizzlies committed two errors and four walks to help the cause.
Eight of the first nine batters scored for the Braves, which began with James Clark reaching first in an error, followed by a walk to senior right fielder Jhett Ohira (R, 2 RBIs). Clark and Ohira came home on a sacrifice fly by Razo and Ohira eventually came home on a single to left by Champlin to lead 5-1.
The sixth and seventh (Everly and Champlin) runs came in on a long triple to right by Miles Clark, which bounced around allowing Clark to round third and think about hitting an inside-the-park home run. However, Rojo put out the stop sign just as he was starting to head home.
“I did have the chance,” said Miles Clark, of his chance for the homer. “I was going all the way and ready to round third and score, but he held me at the last minute.”
Sophomore catcher Richie Avina (single, R) walked, followed by a run-scoring single by pinch hitter James Stout for the eighth run of the game scoring Clark.
Avina and Stout came home on James Clarks second at bat of the inning with a two-run double to left for the sixth and seventh runs of the inning to lead, 10-1.
Garcia walked and eventually came home on a ground out RBI by Ohira for the 11-1 lead.
Everly capped off the inning with a no-doubter two-run home run for the 12th and 13th run for the Braves.
“It was my first of the year,” Everly said. “It felt really good. (The pitcher) left it over the plate and I just hit it out with a solid swing.”
Miles Clark said it best of the big 10-run inning for the Braves, “Hitting is contagious.”
Senior pitchers Kevin Hernandez and Mario Nakajima finished up the sixth and seventh innings for the Braves.
The Braves will play in two high end tournaments this season. The first is at the end of month at the National High School Invitational at the home of USA Baseball in Cary, North Carolina and the Boros Classic in the second week of April.
“We’re going to face great teams and more than anything we’re going to face high quality pitching,” said Rojo, of the two tourneys. “That will bode well for us when we get back into league (Trinity), because you got to go through some pretty good arms in division 1. It’ll be good.”
Coach Rojo is also very proud of 10 of his players that have chosen their colleges to continue at the next level playing baseball: Seniors – Miles Clark and James Clark, Duke; Jack Champlin, UC Irvine; Noah Everly, Seattle University; Jhett Ohira, USC; Jaden Jackson, UCLA; Julian Garcia, Long Beach State; Moises Razo, Long Beach State; Cole Knupher, St. Mary’s and junior Griffin Tagliaferri, Long Beach State.
