Sophomore Kees t’Sas picked up a complete-game shutout on Tuesday in Santa Barbara High’s 7-0 road win against Chaminade in the second round of the CIF-SS Division II baseball playoffs. t’Sas also drove in two runs on a pair of hits in a 5-run fourth inning, and allowed just five hits on a total of 87 pitches.
“He was ahead of the hitters all night, using primarily his curveball,” said assistant coach Mike Cooney. “It was also one of our best defensive games of the year.”
Shortstop Joey Gonzales had a big hand in that defense with six ground-ball assists and two other put-outs. Santa Barbara got a huge play in the field right away, as Chaminade led off with a triple, but the ensuing squeeze attempt led to a put-out at the plate.
The Dons (22-4) scored their first run on back-to-back two-out doubles by Pepe Gil and t’Sas in the third inning. Santa Barbara batted around in the fourth, with the onslaught beginning on a double by Alex Spatz. By the time the frame was over the Dons were up 6-0. Their final run scored in the fifth, after Danny Zandona led off with a single and was sacrificed over to second by Spatz. Jack Crummer then hit a two-out single and was caught between first and second. He made it into second safely while Zandona came in to score.
The game was played at L.A. Pierce College because of a sprinkler malfunction at Chaminade.
A coinflip has already determined that Santa Barbara’s quarterfinal game will be played at Yucaipa, the third-place team out of the Citrus Belt League, on Friday. Chaminade finishes its season at 25-7.
SANTA BARBRA 7, CHAMINADE 0
Santa Barbara…001 510 0 — 7 11 1
Chaminade…000 000 0 — 0 5 2
T’Sas and Eaton. Tessar, Brown (4), Troup (5) and Troup, D’Andrea (5). WP — t’Sas (5-1), LP — Tessar (9-3).
2B — SB: Gil, t’Sas. 3B — C: Tessar.
