The Corona baseball team has one of the deepest pitching staffs in the entire country. And that depth will be put to the test over the next two weeks, as the Panthers compete in the prestigious Boras Classic and National High School Invitational.
Freshman left-hander Mason Sims went the distance and fired three hits in the first start of his high school career as Corona earned a 2-1 win over La Costa Canyon in the Boras season opener Classic Tuesday afternoon at JSerra High School.
Sims allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning, as Ryan DeMartino singled against Wyatt McClory with two outs.
Corona (13-1) evened the score in the top of the third inning, when Anthony Murphy hit Daniel Rivera on a no-out single. The Panthers took the lead in the fifth inning, when pinch runner Drake Burkhart scored on a Brady Edel groundout.
Sims retired the team in order four times, including the sixth and seventh innings. Costa Canyon, which won the San Diego Section Open Division championship last season, tied the game at third base with two outs in the fifth inning, but Sims called on Kalen Applefield to field out. Seth Hernandez in left field to end the threat. Sims struck out four and walked only one batter.
Cooper Walls threw four batters in a losing effort for La Costa Canyon, allowing two unearned runs while walking five batters.
Josh Springer had two hits for Corona, which faces Aquinas in a second-round game Wednesday at 3 p.m. at JSerra.
MORENO SHINES FOR ETIWANDA
Sophomore Al Moreno Jr. pitched a no-hitter, as Etiwanda beat Carlsbad 1-0 in the Boras Classic opener Tuesday at JSerra.
Moreno walked four batters, including two in the top of the seventh inning. Carlsbad tied it and got the go-ahead run with two outs, but Moreno got Maddox Lara to get to second baseman Christian Eaton to seal the victory.
Etiwanda (5-10) scored the only run in the bottom of the fifth inning, when LJ Roellig scored on a Jaeden Toki groundout.
Roellig, Servens and Eaton had two hits each for Etiwanda.
The Eagles will face Oaks Christian in the second round Wednesday at 6 p.m. at JSerra.
AQUINAS WINS IN EXTRA ROUNDS
Gavin Egan scored the deciding run on a one-out single by Chase Davidson in the top of the eighth inning as Aquinas earned a 5-4 victory over South Hills in the Boras Classic opener Tuesday morning at JSerra High School.
Aquinas trailed 2-0 after four innings, but the Falcons scored three runs in the fifth to take the lead. Landon Young got Aquinas on the board with an RBI single, and Chase Hadnot doubled in two more runs to give the Falcons the lead (10-6).
South Hills regained the lead with two runs in the sixth inning, but Hadnot doubled in another run with one out in the seventh inning to tie the score. He went 3-for-3 with a walk, while Young was 2-for-4 with a pair of stolen bases.
Jason Gerfers pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one hit, to earn the win for the Falcons.
Aquinas will face Corona in a second-round match Wednesday at 3 p.m. at JSerra.
OTHER BORAS CLASSIC RESULTS
Maranatha 5, San Dimas 4 — Gabe Barragan scored to lead off the top of the eighth inning, lifting Maranatha to victory in the first game of the Boras Classic at Mater Dei High School. Landon White and Ryan Castro had two hits each for San Dimas (14-3). Castro scored three points and Kody King scored two points for the Saints. San Dimas will face Ganesha in a consolation match Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Mater Dei.
Huntington Beach 6, Ganesha 0 — Nathan Aceves and Andrew Berdelis combined for a two-hitter as Huntington Beach opened the Boras Classic with a victory. Jared Grindlinger scored three points for the Oilers. Bryce McAninch and Victor Garcia recorded the hits for Ganesha (9-2). Corey Cole pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the Giants and struck out four.
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