SANTA ANA – Orange County will have a new No. 1 baseball team next week.
Villa Park rolled to an 11-3 win over JSerra on Friday in the championship game of the Boras Classic South.
Villa Park’s Britton Beeson hits a two-RBI single against JSerra during the first inning in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Villa Park Gavin Grahovac, right, scores without a throw to
JSerra catcher Brandon Chang, left, on a base hit by Geoff McArthur during the first inning in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra starting pitcher Tristan Lamaison throws to a Villa Park batter during the second inning in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Villa Park left fielder Gavin Rossi, left, misses a long fly ball hit to the wall by JSerra Trent Carraway as center fielder AJ Krodel makes the assist during the third inning in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Villa Park relief pitcher Thomas McGuire strikes out JSerra Jackson Summers during the seventh inning in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Villa Park’s Gavin Grahovac reacts after hitting a double at second base during the first inning in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament against JSerra at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Villa Park players celebrate after defeating JSerra in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Villa Park third baseman Geoff McArthur, left, tags out JSerra Jonathan Mendez attempting to steal third base during the second inning in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Villa Park relief pitcher Thomas McGuire, right, hugs catcher Jack Burke atter Villa Park defeats JSerra in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra left fielder Ryusei Fujiwara catches a line drive ball hit by Villa Park’s Gavin Rossi during the second inning in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Villa Park players celebrate after defeating JSerra in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Villa Park starting pitcher Justin Tims throws to a JSerra batter during the second inning in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Villa Park second baseman Tyler Gordon, right, throws to first over JSerra Dominic Smaldino, but not in time to get the double play during the fourth inning in the championship game of the Boras Classic baseball tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, on Friday, April 22, 2022. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra beat county No. 1 Orange Lutheran in the tournament semifinals Thursday.
Villa Park (24-2) went into the tournament as the No. 3 team in O.C. Villa Park defeated No. 2-ranked Huntington Beach 7-2 in the tournament’s second round Wednesday.
The Spartans, playing for the first time in the Boras tournament, took control early. They scored four runs in the top of the first inning and seven in the third.
Gavin Grahovac smacked the game’s first pitch into center field for a double. He scored on Geoff McArthur’s sacrifice fly. Britton Beeson’s double drove in Zach Brown and Jack Burke, and Beeson scored on AJ Krodel’s single for the fourth run.
Villa Park sent 12 batters to the plate in its seven-run third inning. Beeson, who was named player of the game, hit a three-run home run that easily cleared the left-field fence at Mater Dei’s hitter-friendly field. McArthur and Brown had RBI singles in the inning that ended with the Spartans on top 11-0.
Villa Park celebrates after beating JSerra 11-3 in @TheBorasClassic championship game. Britton Beeson had five RBIs, named player of the game. VP beat Servite, Huntington Beach and Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks in the prestigious tournament @ocvarsitypic.twitter.com/mAYugEohH1
JSerra’s three runs came in the fourth inning. Jonathan Mendez hit a two-run home run and Jake Bourne added a run-scoring single.
The Spartans resume Crestview League play next week, the final week of the regular season, with a crucial two-game series against Foothill. The teams play Tuesday at Villa Park and Thursday at Foothill.
Villa Park is 6-1 in the four-team league, and Foothill is 5-2. Villa Park beat Foothill 7-5 in eight innings in a league game March 25.
JSerra plays Mater Dei in three Trinity League games next week, beginning with an away game Monday. The Lions, 6-6 in league, are in a three-way tie for second place with Servite and St. John Bosco. The top three teams in the Trinity receive guaranteed playoff berths.
Also in the Boras Classic South:
No. 1 Orange Lutheran 21, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks 2: Casey Borba hit a grand slam and drove in five runs, and Karson Bowen drove in four runs for the Lancers (21-4) in the third-place game at Mater Dei.
Mikey Romero drove in three for Orange Lutheran, which went 3-1 in the tournament. The Lancers lost to JSerra 4-1 in the semifinals Thursday.
Orange Lutheran, which has clinched the Trinity League championship, plays Santa Margarita three times next week to conclude the regular season.
