Postseason intensity heating up locally

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers TASK AT HAND—Daniel Lerma and the Rio Mesa High baseball squad open the CIF-Southern Section Division I playoffs today at home against Dana Hills. First pitch is slated for 3:15 p.m. The playoffs are just starting for local baseball teams, but other sports are entrenched in postseason action.

No team is hotter than Cornerstone Christian's baseball squad, which enters the CIFSouthern Section Division VII playoffs undefeated and with the No. 1 overall seed.

Cornerstone (17-0) plays host to Lennox Academy (13-6) at 3:15 p.m. today.

The Eagles, however, will be without head coach Jason Guzman for the duration of the postseason due to a family obligation.

Cornerstone will also be without assistant coach Mark Stover, who was deployed to Iraq by the U.S. Navy on Tuesday, Guzman said by telephone on Wednesday.

"There's no question it's tough on the kids," said athletic director Dave Dealy. "But we've got a good, supportive group of coaches and parents who've been part of our program for years."

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers ANOTHER ROUND—Jordan Cuthbert of Rio Mesa will compete in Tuesday's CIF-SS Individual Finals at Hacienda Golf Club. Assistants Pete Morin, Dean Druellas and Rich Fitzgerald will guide the Eagles through the playoffs.

Dealy thinks the players will rally around each other.

"They're in good hands. But it's the kids who play the game," the fifth-year athletic director said. "They're the ones out there. They've worked incredibly hard and earned everything. . . .

"It's very impressive what they've accomplished."

The Camarillo baseball team won its wild-card game against Hart, 7-6, on Tuesday, and will play at JSerra Catholic (216) today at 3:15 p.m.

The Scorpions (16-11) will start Andy Yingling (4-3, 3.89 earned run average), who had his "worst game of the season" during his most recent outing last Thursday, Camarillo head coach Richard Jaquez said.

"Today will be a growing experience, one way or the other," Jaquez said. "We're playing a pretty good team. We should learn a lot about ourselves from this game."

Rio Mesa (16-10) will play host to Dana Hills (15-12) at 3:15 this afternoon.

Head coach David Soliz said the Pacific View League champion Spartans will rely on pitching and getting on base to win.

Rio Mesa should enjoy playing at home, where the Spartans went 10-3 on the year.

"Obviously we're more comfortable playing at home," Soliz said. "But at the same time, we have to go out and play well."

Sean Barber (7-0, 2.54 ERA), Daniel Lerma (5-2, 3.34 ERA) and David Barroso (2-4, 3.34 ERA) lead the Spartans' pitching staff.

Track and field

A strong Rio Mesa contingent will travel to the CIF-SS Track and Field Divisional Championships at Cerritos College this Saturday.

Senior Saraina Hedgepeth leads the way for the Spartans after her strong showing at the CIFSS Division II preliminaries at Moorpark on May 16.

Hedgepeth was the first qualifier in the 100meter dash, completing the race in 11.89 seconds. She also finished first in the 200 (24.47).

Teammate Valexsia Droughn, a sophomore, was right behind Hedgepeth in the 100, taking second in the same listed time.

Mariyah Lee of Rio Mesa completed the 100 in 12.10 seconds, and will also run on Saturday.

Lee was third in the long jump (18 feet, 3.5 inches) while Droughn was fourth in the 200 (24.61 seconds).

Rio Mesa's Riley Nidil qualified in the high jump (5-4) while the Spartans' 4x100 relay took first place and qualified in 47.21 seconds.

Camarillo's lone qualifier for Saturday is sophomore Heyden Woof, who won the boys 3,200 race in Moorpark in 9:16.75.

Among Rio Mesa boys, junior Jamison Jordan qualified in the 100 (10.69) and 200 (21.54). Teammate Jamaal Perkins' season also continues in the 100 (10.89) and the 200 (22.18). Rio Mesa's boys 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams also advanced.

Swimming

Rio Mesa senior Drake Escrofani won the boys' diving event at the CIF-SS Division III Swimming Championships at Long Beach last weekend.

Escrofani notched a score of 386.5 in the finals, helping the Spartan boys tie for eighth place overall in the team standings with 97 points.

The Camarillo boys finished fifth overall—behind champion Torrance, Cerritos, La Serna and Mark Keppel—with 116 points.

The Scorpion girls took fourth place with 169 points. Rio Mesa's girls were 12th with 86 points.

No school dominated diving quite like Rio Mesa. Besides Escrofani, teammates Mason Stansfield (eighth), Ryan Pluche (ninth) and Austin Navarro (12th) fared well for the Spartans.

Rio Mesa Christa Estrada placed seventh in girls' diving with 291.75 points.

Camarillo divers Bethany Lassen (10th) and MacKenzie Paschen (15th) also competed at the finals.

Camarillo's Alicia Lewsadder finished third in the girls' 50 freestyle (24.63 seconds) and third in the 100 butterfly (58.86). She also was the anchor for the 200 freestyle relay team that placed fifth, joining teammates Kaleigh Smith, Sarah Conners and Chelsea Fahl.

The Scorpions' 200 medley relay of Valerie Thorp, Smith, Rebecca Gregg and Conners placed fifth. Thorp and Smith notched fourth and eighth, respectively, in the 100 backstroke.

Chris Lewsadder of Camarillo placed fourth in the boys' 100 backstroke (53.78).

Timothy Lewsadder, Colin Hedrick, Lance Toppen and Austin Hedrick finished fifth in the boys' 400 freestyle relay for ACHS.

Golf

Jordan Cuthbert's journey to the boys' golf state finals will continue.

The Rio Mesa senior shot a 1under par for 70 at the CIF-SS Northern Individual Regional at Sterling Hills Golf Course at Camarillo on Monday.

Camarillo freshman Bryce Haynes shot a 1-over par for 72, and was one of five golfers to advance in a playoff.

Cuthbert and Haynes earned spots at the CIF-SS Individual Finals at Hacienda Golf Club at La Habra Tues., May 26.

Tennis

The Camarillo boys' tennis team won its first-round match in the Division II playoffs against Arroyo Grande, 11-7, but fell to Villa Park, 11-7, last weekend.

Rio Mesa lost to Santa Monica 15-3 in the first round.

Volleyball Camarillo and Rio Mesa's boys' volleyball teams had quick playoff exits last weekend.

The Scorpions lost at Royal 25-10, 25-16, 25-13. Rio Mesa fell to Righetti 2514, 2518, 2516 at home.

Softball

The Camarillo softball team's season ended with a 5-0 loss at Agoura in a Division I wild-card game Tuesday afternoon.

The game started on an ominous note for the Scorpions, who finished 16-14 overall.

Starting catcher Lyndsey Flartey broke her nose attempting to catch a foul pop-up by Agoura leadoff hitter Jamie DePippo in the bottom of the first inning.

After that, the Chargers scored five runs before an out was recorded.

Camarillo coach Jack Willard credited freshman pitcher Sarah Shadinger for a solid relief appearance. Down 5-0, Shadinger gave up two consecutive singles, but kept the Chargers from scoring again. She had six strikeouts.

"Shadinger will get better," Willard said. "Jen (Manuel) is back next year too. Pitching-wise, we'll be fine. We have to figure out how to be better offensively."

Pacific View League champion Rio Mesa entered Thursday's home game against Moorpark with a 21-7 overall record. Results were not available at press time.