El Modena’s London Aldridge, right, rounds third and sprints toward home with encouragement from the third base coach to score a run in the fifth inning against Foothill in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
ORANGE – El Modena’s baseball team was not distressed by its loss to Foothill earlier this week.
That’s because the Vanguards knew Nick Santivanez would be their starting pitcher in Thursday’s Crestview League finale against Foothill.
The senior right-hander showed why that confidence in him was there. He pitched a one-hitter in El Modena’s 4-0 win over Foothill at El Modena High.
It was the last regular-season game for both teams. The result, and Villa Park’s 1-0 win over El Dorado on Thursday, created a three-way tie for first place in the final Crestview League standings.
El Modena’s Logan Asch is tagged out trying to take third by Foothill’s Tyler Hawkins in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s Clint Dodson, center, steals second against Foothill in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s Nick Santivanez lets out a yell after the last out is made against Foothill to capture a share in the Crestview League title in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s starting pitcher Nick Santivanez, center, celebrates with Clint Dodson, left, after the last out is made against Foothill to capture a share of the Crestview League title in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill’s third baseman Tyler Hawkins fields a bunt and fires a throw to first to get the runner against El Modena in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s Logan Honikel, left, and London Aldridge celebrate after both scored against Foothill in the fifth inning in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s Nick Santivanez delivers a pitch against Foothill in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Santivanez pitched a complete game for the win to capture a share in the league title. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s Jeremy Russell steals second base as Foothill second baseman Ezekiel Vargas applies the late tag in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s London Aldridge slides into home to score a run against Foothill in the fifth inning in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s Nick Santivanez, second from left, celebrates with Clint Dodson, left, after Vanguards captured a share in the Crestview League title defeating Foothill in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s Lukus Alvarado steals second base as Foothill second baseman Ezekiel Vargas moves to grab an errant throw from the catcher in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill second baseman Ezekiel Vargas can’t get to a grounder to his left by El Modena in the fifth inning in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s London Aldridge, right, rounds third and sprints toward home with encouragement from the third base coach to score a run in the fifth inning against Foothill in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill’s starting pitcher Brian Harbour delivers pitch against El Modena in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s Logan Asch, right, turns a double play after forcing out Foothill’s Parker Sterton at second in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s London Aldridge gets back to the bag at first on a pick off attempt by Foothill in the fifth inning in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Aldridge scored a run later in the inning. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena’s Lukus Alvarado gets ready to stomp on home plate as he scores a run in the fifth inning against Foothill in a Crestview League baseball game in Orange on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Modena, Foothill and Villa Park each finished with 5-4 league records. El Dorado finished fourth at 3-6.
Foothill (20-8 overall) and Villa Park (17-11) are sure things to be in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 bracket when playoff brackets are released Monday at 10 a.m. El Modena (18-8-1) will be in the Division 3 bracket. El Dorado (14-14) is a candidate for an at-large berth in Division 1.
El Modena lost to Foothill 9-5 on Tuesday, which made Thursday’s game a must-win for the Vanguards to get a piece of the league championship.
“We weren’t really worried,” El Modena coach Josh Kliner said. “We knew we had (Santivanez) going for us.”
Santivanez had a perfect game going until giving up a single to Brian Harbour with two outs in the fifth inning. Santivanez then walked Mason Souter, Santivanez’s only walk of the day, before ending the inning with his fifth and final strikeout.
Santivanez hit a batter to start the sixth inning and another Knight reached on a fielder’s choice before Santivanez retired five in a row to end the game.
Santivanez, who signed with Cal State Northridge, had plenty of pop on his fastball.
“I just stuck with the fastball, tried to throw it by them,” he said, “and then just trusted my off-speed, my slider and changeup and it all worked.”
El Modena scored its four runs in the fifth inning.
London Aldridge led off with a walk. Next up was Logan Honikel who, after two bunt attempts went foul, hit a ground ball single that put Aldridge on second base.
Lukus Alvarado followed with a ground ball single that brought in Aldridge and an overthrow to the plate allowed Honikel to also score for a 2-0 lead.
Santivanez hit a ground-ball single to the right side to drive in Alvarado and make it 3-0. Santivanez stole second base, went to third on a ground out and scored on Christian Tafua’s ground ball single up the middle for 4-0 lead.
El Modena’s previous league championship was in 2022. Kliner said the Vanguards were certain that this year’s team could win a title, too.
“We knew it all along,” he said. “I think we knew we had one of our best offensive teams and we knew we had a horse (Santivanez) on the mound. So it was all about finding other guys to fill in those spots and learning how to pull out close ball games.”
All four Crestview League tams are in the Orange County Top 25. Foothill is No. 8, Villa Park is No. 14, El Modena is No. 17 and El Dorado is No. 18.
