Calvary Chapel pitcher Lombardo deals Estancia another loss

One thing is for sure in the Orange Coast League: an Eagles baseball team will finish second. As for whose Eagles, Estancia’s or Calvary Chapel’s, next week will determine that.

While Estancia is in second, Calvary Chapel narrowed the gap on Friday.

For the second time in three days, Calvary Chapel beat Estancia with another impressive complete-game outing from a pitcher.

Troy Lombardo struck out nine, leading host Calvary Chapel to a 4-1 win at TeWinkle Park.

The result moved Calvary Chapel (11-13, 8-5 in league) within a game of Estancia (16-10, 9-4). Two games remain in league next week, and for Estancia, both are with defending champion Laguna Beach, which is trying to go undefeated. Calvary Chapel closes out with lowly Saddleback, which is in last place at 1-12.

“Glad the schedule worked out the way it did this year,” Calvary Chapel Coach Cole Wilson said of having to see the worst team in league at the end of the regular season. “Every game from here on out is huge for us. Every game is a must win.”

Calvary Chapel has won four consecutive games, clinching one of the league’s three berths into the CIF Southern Section playoffs. Calvary Chapel has done it with pitching during the winning streak, allowing only six runs during the stretch.

After Calvary Chapel’s Charlie Pierce threw a two-hit shutout in a 4-0 win at Estancia on Wednesday, Lombardo gave up five hits and one run, and only walked one.

Calvary Chapel gave him run support right away, thanks to Estancia.

Everything that possibly could go wrong did for Estancia in the bottom of the first inning. Estancia committed two errors, had a passed ball, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch, and walked a batter.

Calvary Chapel only had one hit in the first inning, as Robbie Haw led off with a single to right field, and because of all of Estancia’s miscues, it led, 4-0.

After one inning, Estancia’s Spencer Stern threw 43 pitches. Lombardo reached that amount in the fourth inning, after Brian Rodriguez led off with a single to left field.

Rodriguez reached a milestone. The junior’s 43^rd hit of the year broke Estancia’s single-season record. Rodriguez surpassed Jeff Gardner, who set the mark in 1982, before going on to play in the big leagues.

The hit and Rodriguez coming around to score in the fourth, ending the offense’s 10-inning drought, were all Estancia’s fans had to cheer about on a cold evening. They watched Estancia play at night, as the fans did in a 7-6 walk-off win against rival Costa Mesa at Angel Stadium on Monday, but there would be no magic this time.

Lombardo was the reason why. The right-hander retired the side in order in the first two innings, and at one point, Lombardo struck out four batters in a row looking.

In the third inning, Jake Covey broke things up. He swung away at the first offering from Lombardo, singling up the middle. Five pitches later, Jeffrey Alai hit into a 4-6-3 double play. Lombardo faced only three batters for the third straight inning, mowing down Hayden Pearce for his fifth strikeout.

Even though Estancia is in second, Calvary Chapel appears in better position to finish second, a spot it has taken in each of the past four seasons.

For Estancia to claim second for the first time in five years, it has to knock off Laguna Beach at least once. Estancia is the last team to defeat the Breakers in league, doing so last year.

“We still control our own destiny,” Estancia Coach Nate Goellrich said. “We win two, we finish [in second] by ourselves. If we win one, we tie [for second].”

Orange Coast League

Calvary Chapel 4, Estancia 1

SCORE BY INNINGS

Estancia 000 100 0 – 1 5 2

Calvary 400 000 0 – 4 3 3

Stern, Auriemma (6) and Pearce; Lombardo and Portillo. W – Lombardo. L – Stern. 2B – Alai (E).

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Twitter: @ByDCP