Arlington Holds On to Defeat Wilson

Nothing came easy for the Riverside Arlington baseball team this season. Especially its run through the Southern Section Division I playoffs.

The Lions sweated through their fifth consecutive one-run victory Saturday night, holding on to defeat Long Beach Wilson, 4-3, at Dodger Stadium for its second title in three years.

Lucas Duda was called on to close for the fifth consecutive time and the USC-bound right-hander navigated his way through a difficult sixth inning and retired the side in the seventh.

Arlington (21-10) had 10 hits and scored all of its runs in the first four innings but couldn’t shake the Bruins (23-10-1), who scored two runs in the bottom of the first to tie the score, 2-2, then scored a run off Duda in the sixth..

Duda also helped with his bat, hitting the second pitch of the game into the left-center field gap for a double and later scoring on one of two errors by Wilson shortstop Johnny Jimenez.

“After 15 games, we didn’t even deserve to go to the playoffs -- we had no heart, no character,” Arlington Coach Gary Rungo said. “At the end of the regular season we were 16-10, and at our school that’s unacceptable. All of sudden [in the playoffs], we caught lightning in a bottle.”

Arlington starter Steve Goins (5-4) had a shaky start, walking the first two batters he faced, and they both scored on a single by Preston Suttie. Goins then retired eight consecutive batters.

-- Dan Arritt

DIVISION IV

Blake Contant, a lanky 6-foot-3 left-hander, made pitching at Dodger Stadium look easy Saturday morning, throwing a three-hitter to help Corona del Mar defeat Pacific Coast League rival Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro, 3-1.

“Being out here is breathtaking,” said Contant (12-2), who struck out three, walked none and retired 11 of the last 12 batters he faced.

Corona del Mar (25-5) defeated Tesoro (20-11) for the fourth time this season to win its third section title and finish the season with a 17-game winning streak.

The Sea Kings broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning on RBI singles by Tyler Lance and Jeritt Thayer. They had loaded the bases with none out against losing pitcher Bryan Evans (8-5).

Tesoro scored its run in the first inning on a single by Nik Nelson, who two of his team’s hits.

-- Eric Sondheimer