Page 9 - Reedley Exponent 3-14-19

B3 | Thursday, March 14, 2019 www.reedleyexponent.com
CIF State Div. 4 final, March 9 — Ribet Academy 60, Immanuel 49
Colleges
Tigers
baseball
sweeps 3
from PC
Contributed, Staff Reports
It was quite a week for the Reedley College Ti- ger baseball team, as they opened Central Valley Con- ference action with three wins over a struggling Porterville College Pirate squad.
The Tigers outscored Porterville by a combined score of 46-3. All three con- tests were played in Reed- ley as Porterville’s field was unplayable due to the wet weather.
Reedley opened the week with a 6-2 win over the 1-19 Pirates on March 5 before an 18-1 triumph on March 7. The Tigers improved to 6-12 on the season with a 22-0 win on March 9.
In the opener, Reed- ley broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. A two-out single by Tony Riley drove in Mitch Silvas with the go-ahead run. The Tigers added two unearned runs in the eighth inning. Blake Costa allowed one run in five innings of relief to re- cord the pitching win in re- lief of starter Tanner Lee.
As the visiting team on the scoreboard, the Ti- gers erupted for eight runs in the top half of the first inning of Thursday’s 18-1 win. In what was Reedley’s best pitching performance of the season, Peyton Mc- Nair threw six shutout in- nings and struck out 10 to get the win.
Deagan Risnes, Nick Martinez and Josh Mares all hit home runs for the Ti- gers. Risnes hit a three-run shot in the second and also added a pair of doubles. Martinez led off the fifth with his homer and he add- ed a pair of singles. Mares finished his three-hit day with a two-run homer in the eighth. Mitchell Craw- ford finished the day with three singles.
Alex Escobar, Dominic Scotti, Dylan Kent and Eric Montelongo combined for a six-hit shutout on Satur- day. Escobar allowed five hits in six innings to im- prove to 2-3 on the season. Offensively, Reedley fin- ished with 22 hits. Mitch Silvas got things started with a two-run homer in a four-run first before lead- off hitter Risnes started a seven-run second inning rally with a home run over the left field fence.
Henry Degnan and
See COLLEGES on page B4
Late Ribet surge sinks Eagles
Immanuel ends 26-9 year with its first NorCal title, CIF state final appearance
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
Less than four minutes. That's all that stood between the Immanuel High boys and a first-ever California state basketball championship in the program's history.
The newly-crowned Northern California Division 4 champions were tied with Southern Cal kingpin Ribet Academy from Los Angeles at 46 with three minutes, 48 seconds left in regulation at Golden 1 Center in Sac- ramento on March 9. It ap- peared to be a battle to the closing seconds, much like nearly every game in the Ea- gles' four-game regional run to the title contest.
But the Fighting Frogs (27-3) went ahead to stay on a clutch baseline 3-pointer from sophomore forward Tyler Powell with 3:12 re- maining, setting in motion a game-deciding 11-0 run that put them in command. Ribet (pronounced RI-BAY) went on to a 60-49 triumph inside the arena where the Sacramento Kings' NBA team plays, clos- ing out a 27-3 season.
Immanuel (26-9) saw its dream postseason run — fu- eled by eight victories of which seven came in the friendly confines of the IHS South Gym — come to an end. But it was a run through the Northern Regionals — where the Eagles were switched from the south this year — that gave the school its first state regional title.
"I'm proud of my guys. We've come a long way with a young group, and I can't say enough how much they accomplished," head coach Chris Woods said. "Toward the end, it was us not capi- talizing on our stops and the turnovers that they had."
Immanuel's own turn- overs were also critical. The Eagles gave it up 23 times while the Fighting Frogs committed just 11 turnovers — five less than the 16 steals they collected with their physical pressure defense.
Ribet first-year coach Reggie Howard credited his assistants and staff with the physical and mental condi- tioning that took its toll on the Eagles as the game whittled down.
"I'm an offensive guy, but if you don't have conditioning toward the end then you'll start falling off," Howard said. "Just being in shape, we were
See EAGLES on page B4
TOP: Immanuel High's Shawn Rodgers (11) soared to the basket over Ribet Academy's Tyler Powell during the third quarter of the Eagles' 60-49 Division 4 state final loss in Sacramento on March 9. Sophomore Rodgers led the Eagles with 14 points.
ABOVE: Eagles sophomore guard Amren Purewal (13) fired up the first of his two three-point baskets over Ribet Academy guard Snookey Wigington (2).
LEFT: Immanuel's Winston Williams twisted his body to secure a rebound in the third quarter. The sophomore pulled down a game-high 18 rebounds while scoring seven points.
Photos by Jon Earnest / The Exponent
RHS baseball picks up two non-league wins last week
Staff Reports
The Reedley High baseball team improved to 6-2 on the season with a pair of victories in the Central Valley Diamond Classic last week.
The Pirates pulled out a 4-3 win at Chowchilla on March 6, as three play- ers collected two hits and Oscar Lemus picked up the pitching victory. Reed- ley then closed out tourney play with an 11-0 drubbing of Madera South on March 9 at RHS diamond.
Lemus struck out seven to get the win at Chowchilla while Tristan Gar- za, Will Gagnon and Chris Hinojosa all had two hits. Garza and Hinojosa knocked in runs, while Jacob Gagnon added a double.
Against Madera South, Roger Ortiz scattered two hits and struck out four on the mound while going 2-for-3 at the plate with a double. Other RHS of- fensive leaders were Hinojosa (2-for-3, stolen base), Jacob Franco (two RBI) and Felipe Ranallo (two RBI). Matt Diaz also belted a double.
Preps
Reedley continues its tuneup for the North Yosemite League season on Friday, March 15, when it hosts Golden West from the West Yosemite League in a 6:30 p.m. start at RHS diamond. The Pirates then travel to Firebaugh on Tuesday, March 19, for a 4 p.m. non- league game with the Eagles.
Eagles now 7-1 after home win
Immanuel High won its seventh game on eight non-league contests, blanking Kerman High by a 4-0 score under the lights at IHS Sports Com- plex on March 8.
The Eagles will open the Central Sequoia League season this week, beginning with an evening contest against the Kingsburg Vikings on March 12. Results were unavailable at press time. Immanuel plays again under the lights at 7 in a Friday, March 15, league game at Exeter and at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, at home against Di- nuba.
In the win over Kerman, Imman- uel pitcher Roman Rosales allowed one hit and struck out 14 in six in- nings while JT Friesen finished up
with a hitless inning including two strikeouts. Offensively, Rosales and Matt Tiger each collected two hits with Rosales driving in two runs and Tiger scoring twice while collecting a double.
TRACK AND FIELD
Rotary meet March 14 at RHS Elementary and junior high track
and field athletes from Kings Canyon Unified School District schools will compete at the 48th annual Reedley Rotary/KCUSD track meet Thursday, March 14. Track and field events begin at 5 p.m. at Reedley High School's Sal Gonzalez Field.
SOFTBALL
Pirates finish 2-2 at Bejar tourney
Host Reedley High settled for a fourth place finish at the Javier Be- jar Swing into Spring Tournament on
See PREPS on page B4
Danny Jimenez / Photo Contributed
Reedley High's Aryanna Gonzalez prepared to take a cut from a pitch against Mission Oak while the Pirates' Emma Mulligan (9) broke from second base during a March 8 game in the Javier Bejar Swing to Spring Tournament.