Tigers crush Garces in baseball semifinals thriller and will play for Division IV title Saturday at 11 a.m. at Fresno State

By Ed Martin, Editor
Lemoore pitcher Emiliano Murrillo pitches in the final inning for the victory.
Lemoore pitcher Emiliano Murrillo pitches in the final inning for the victory.
Gary Feinstein/Feinsteinfotos

It was almost improbable that Lemoore High School’s baseball team, sporting a 13-18 overall record and a 6-9 mark in the West Yosemite League, would play for the Division IV CIF baseball championship on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Fresno State.

It turns out that Lemoore is coming together at just the right time and handed its latest playoff opponent, Garces, a ticket out of the playoffs, defeating the Rams 8-3 Tuesday in an afternoon game Lemoore.

However, since earning a spot as the 14th seed in Division IV, the Tigers have been on a tear. After beating No. 3 Dos Palos in a 13-12 thriller, the Tigers followed that up with a 7-3 win against No. 6 Washington Union, and on Tuesday – on their own turf in Lemoore – the Tigers outgunned visiting Garces Memorial to earn a spot in the coveted championship game where they will face No. 5 Madera South.

The Madera South Stallions also have a lopsided record at 14-16-1 but opened the playoffs with a bang, crushing Golden West 12-1 before dispatching Mission Prep 11-1 and before upsetting No. 1 seed Liberty High School 7-0.

Coach Scott Loper waves home runner Andrew Mora for the go-ahead run.
Coach Scott Loper waves home runner Andrew Mora for the go-ahead run.
Gary Feinstein/Feinsteinfotos

The Tigers indeed did impress the home fans taking a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning before Garces responded with three runs of their own in the top of the second. But those were the only runs they were to earn as the Tigers pitching shut down the Garces the rest of the way.

Meantime, Lemoore picked up two more runs in the third and four more in a decisive fifth inning. Tiger coach Izzy Gonzalez couldn’t have been prouder of his squad. “Like I tell the kids, our goal is to make the playoffs, and our vision is to win the Valley title,” he said. “The last two months we have been playing some great baseball.”

Gonzalez said it was a team effort, but his pitching staff held Garces to just a pair of runs in the second inning. Starting pitcher Justin Montoya threw two and a third innings before giving up the mound to Emiliano Murillo, who went the rest of the way.

It didn’t hurt that Lemoore’s batters were getting on base. “The key to the win was that the top of the order would get on base. It was like a chain reaction. One guy got a hit, and then the next guy got a hit. Our kids figured it out and put the ball in play.”

Tigers crush Garces in baseball semifinals thriller and will play for Division IV title Saturday at 11 a.m. at Fresno State
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