SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO >> The La Mirada baseball team upset previously undefeated Sierra Canyon 7-0 Tuesday in the first round of the Boras Classic South at JSerra High.
Sierra Canyon (22-1) opted not to use one of its top two pitchers, Jaden Noot or Kassius Thomas. The Matadores took advantage with a four-run first inning. The Trailblazers had not allowed more than three runs in a game prior to Tuesday.
“I don’t think anybody outside of our group thought we would come in here and do what we did,” La Mirada coach Jimmy Zurn said. “We are little ol’ La Mirada, but we’ve been around for a long time. Our kids are going to compete their tails off.”
La Mirada (17-4-1) got its first two runners on base via a walk and a hit batter. Long Beach State commit Andrew Pyle hit a three-run home run over the left field wall to give the Matadores a 3-0 lead before Sierra Canyon got an out.
Two freshmen for La Mirada contributed to another run in the first inning. Maverick Russell singled and subsequently scored on a double by Aiden Aguayo to increase the lead to 4-0.
“It kind of let us settle in and go, ‘you know what? We can do this thing,’ ” Zurn said of the first inning. “Not that we didn’t expect to, but no doubt it gave us breathing room.”
Aguayo hit another double in the third inning which drove in two runs to give La Mirada a 6-0 lead.
“Aguayo being a freshman, he’s pretty special,” Zurn said. “I’m excited for him, but this was a team effort. Our entire team was locked in from first pitch to last, even the guys who didn’t get in.”
The early run support was plenty for junior pitcher Eric Jeon. He pitched six shutout innings, allowed two hits and struck out five.
Freshman Paul Dominguez pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the Matadores.
Jeon was aided by some excellent defensive plays. Third baseman Alejandro Diaz began a perfectly executed double play and Pyle made a spectacular play at catcher where he retrieved a wild pitch and made a diving tag at home plate to keep the shutout intact.
Russell drove in a run on a single in the seventh inning for La Mirada.
Sophomore Jonny Hapogian allowed just one run over four innings out of the bullpen for Sierra Canyon.
Starting pitcher Julian Areliz had a hit for Sierra Canyon and Grant Werdesheim had the other hit.
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La Mirada will play Orange Lutheran in round two of the winner’s bracket Wednesday at 6 p.m. at JSerra High. Orange Lutheran has won the previous three games between the two schools.
Sierra Canyon will play King of Riverside at noon at JSerra Wednesday.