LJ baseball 3, Ramona 13 - CIF D3 semis - ends season

Viking Reed Turner (14) scores as teammate

Oliver Obler (6, behind umpire) gives him

the signal to come in standing up. The two

runs put La Jolla on the board in the top

of the fifth inning Tues., May 26.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Just before 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, several youth-to-high-school baseball careers ended, as La Jolla dropped a 13-3 decision at Ramona in a double-elimination semifinal situation.

With overcast skies and a 10-mph wind chilling spectators, the Vikings fell into a 7-0 hole. The defense let down starter Charlie Smith in the first and second innings, before catcher Colton Simpson crushed a two-run home run over the left field barrier in the bottom of the third.

But La Jolla coach Gary Frank wasn't giving up yet. In the top of the fifth, four pinch-hitters tallied three runs against Bulldog right-hander Alex Wilson, and the Vikings were on the board.

Oliver Obler, going to the plate for Hunter Durfee, drew a walk. After a fielder's choice moved him to second, Reed Turner got aboard on an error, putting runners at the corners.

Senior Harper Lane sees the pitch and will

drive it into centerfield for a two-run single

in the top of the fifth against Ramona starter

Alex Wilson.

In the one-slot, Carter Strauss got his second walk of the game to load the bases. That set up senior outfielder Harper Lane's two-run single to center.

Fellow senior Charlie Martin hit another ball into the middle of the infield, and that ball's mishandling brought in Strauss.

Luke Cripe, another late insert, walked to load the bases again, but the Vikings couldn't capitalize and failed to score again. Wilson, the Ramona starter, was replaced the next inning, but the hosts, undefeated in the playoffs, punched their ticket to Friday's Division 4 final.