Cody Yokubaitis delivered in the big game for Bishop Diego’s baseball team, driving in three runs and pitching six strong innings to lift the Cardinals to a 5-4 win over visiting Buckley in the first round of the CIF Division 6 playoffs.
The Cardinals will play top-seeded Oxford Academy in Tuesday’s second round.
Pitcher Cody Yokubaitis pitched six innings to pick up the playoff win.
Yokubaitis allowed seven hits and struck out five to move to 7-2 for the year.
Scott Mandrell began the game with a lead-off walk, followed by a Jack Gregson double. Yokubaitis stepped up and hit a ground-ball single to score Mandrell, and Gregson was able to steal home to help Bishop Diego take an early 2-0 lead.
Buckley, a private school from Sherman Oaks, answered back with a lead-off single by Tony Lobell a stolen base and a RBI single by Dylan Shapiro.
Yokubaitis hit a two-run double to score Sam Kwock and Mandrell in the bottom of the third, expanding the Cardinals lead to 4-1.
Wes Hass from Buckley responded with an RBI-single in the top of the fourth.
Kwock blasted a solo home run to lead-off the fifth inning to give the Cardinals a 5-2 advantage.
Buckley threatened in the sixth with a lead-off double by Shapiro. Kevin Decorso hit an RBI-single to bring home Shapiro, and Haas hit a sacrifice fly to score Decorso, cutting the lead to one.
Hank Vanderfin stepped up to the mound to close-out the game for Bishop Diego, striking out the final two batters.
“It was a good game for us. We were able to do what we do best, and that’s run and play small ball,” said Bishop coach Dan Yokubaitis. “We also played great defense throughout the game.”
Shapiro pitched a complete-game for Buckley (10-11).
“We are not as athletic as they are, so we have to play close to perfect,” Buckley coach Lou Tapia said. “We just made a couple mistakes, and it cost us in a one-run ball game.”
Bishop Diego 5 Buckley 4
Buckley…100 102 x–4 7 1
Bishop Diego…202 001 0–5 7 1
Yokubaitis, Vanderfin (7) and Salda; Shapiro and Arrow. W-Yokubaitis (7-2) L-Shapiro (1-2)
2B: BD-Yokubaitis; B-Shapiro; HR: BD-Kwock, 5th inn. none on.
