Perfect Season Finale for St. Joseph Baseball

Junior pitcher Jason Kelly led top-seeded Santa Maria St. Joseph High to a 4-1 victory over Cypress Brethren Christian Friday in the Southern Section Division V baseball championship game before 1,012 at Blair Field in Long Beach.

Kelly (14-0 with a 1.47 earned run average) helped St. Joseph (29-0) to its first baseball title and the distinction of being the only undefeated team in the section. He gave up five hits, an unearned run and struck out seven.

St. Joseph scored all four runs in the first inning off Brethren Christian pitcher Jonathan Rouwenhorst (14-1). Rouwenhorst, who struck out 13 to finish the season with 188 strikeouts, walked three batters in the first and all three scored. The Warriors finished 22-8.

St. Joseph left fielder Steven Santana brought home the first two runs with a triple to left-center. Santana scored the third run on a passed ball, and third baseman Doug Bernier made it 4-0 with a triple, scoring Matt Cova, who had walked.

Colton Christian Center Academy 10, Hesperia Christian 8--The Warriors (16-8) captured its first Southern Section baseball title by scoring seven unearned runs, including five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, to erase a three-run deficit in the Division VI championship at Blair Field.

The Patriots (15-12) committed 10 errors, including four in the decisive sixth inning. Jeremy Livermore doubled in Alex Gomez to tie the game, 8-8, and Livermore scored the go-ahead run on a single by Tavis White off losing pitcher Brian Johnson (5-5).

Jason Fuerte (11-5) went the distance for Christian Center Academy, striking out seven and giving up five earned runs.

SOFTBALL

Paraclete fell to 0-6 in Southern Section championship games after dropping a 2-0 decision to Santa Ana Calvary Chapel for the Division V title Mayfair Park in Lakewood.

Calvary Chapel (27-5) was making its first title-game appearance.

Paraclete (27-4) made four errors and failed to capitalize on numerous chances.

“We never make those kind of plays,” said Paraclete pitcher Vicki McKay, after two dropped balls in the first inning allowed Calvary Chapel to take a 1-0 lead.

Christy Ring, who went three for three, and Lindsey Stice opened the first with singles for the Eagles.