By Ed Piper
Renner Smith and Travis Lancaster pushed runs over the plate, and lefthander Abel Delgadillo (5-1) crafted a two-hit shutout to make them stand up as La Jolla downed visiting Westview, 2-0, in a CIF play-in game Tues., May 20.
In the bottom of the second, Smith, the seven-slot DH, bunted and safely reached first on an errant catcher's throw, bringing Zoran Shepanski across the plate for the Vikings' first run.
Then, Lancaster, following in the eight-slot, flied out to left field, with the sacrifice fly driving in Carter Strauss.
The brief flurry made up the only scoring in the game, in which the ace Delgadillo walked just two and struck out three while limiting the Wolverines (15-14) to the pair of hits.
La Jolla (18-11) now moves into the double-elimination phase of the postseason, traveling to City League rival Clairemont Wed., May 21, with no let-up between games. The Chieftains secured the league title a week ago by sweeping the Vikings in three games.
Said Viking coach Gary Frank about Shepanski scoring from second on Renner's bunt, "(It was) to move Zoran to third and Carter to second. Then Zoran scored on the throwing error by the catcher."
Strauss advanced to third.
Teammates, with humor, congratulated Lancaster when he got back to the dugout, "Good bunt." Explained Frank: "We tried a safety squeeze with Travis on the first pitch, but he fouled it off." Then he hit the RBI fly to left field.
Westview head coach Brian Stimpson said before the game, "Talking to Gary, we were talking about the players not having much experience in a playoff game, and getting them to play the way they did earlier in the season."
The Wolverines' season ended with Delgadillo's last pitch.
Frank said that freshman Charlie Smith is going to start against Clairemont.
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