Dos Pueblos was in position to make another big comeback against a strong Orange County team on Tuesday.
But lightning didn’t strike twice for the Chargers.
Unlike their first-round come-from-behind win at top-seeded Cypress last week, they couldn’t deliver the big hits late in the game and lost to visiting Mission Viejo 5-1 in the second round of the CIF Division 2 playoffs.
Dos Pueblos pitcher Joe Huthsing looks for a sign from the dugout with a Mission Viejo runner on third base. Huthsing replaced starter Gabe Speier in the fifth inning.
Mission Viejo (20-13) moves on to the quarterfinals while Dos Pueblos ends the season with a 20-9 record.
Senior shortstop Reveles summed up the Chargers’ day.
“We knew we were going to have to come in and swing the bats and we just didn’t,” he said. “We were just flat up there at the plate. We didn’t hit with runners on and that’s what we needed to do. We knew we had to play good defense, also, We did play some good D, but it wasn’t enough to get the win.”
Dos Pueblos coach Nate Mendoza gave props to Draviczk for shutting down his team, limiting the Chargers to four hits, all coming in the last two innings.
“Hats off to the pitcher, no doubt,” Mendoza said. “To have us with no hits in the sixth inning, it’s a good performance by him. We were hitting balls hard. We weren’t getting overpowered, we just couldn’t get much going offensively.”
Mission Viejo leadoff man and Cal State Fullerton recruit Austin Saenz got things going for the Diablos in the first inning. He opened the game with a single off DP starter Gabe Speier, was sacrificed to second by Boog Powell, stole third and scored when the throw from DP catcher Kyle Richardson got away from third baseman Michael Spiritosanto.
“When Austin Saenz leads off the game and gets a base hit, they get us going, the one, two, three hitters,” Mission Viejo coaach Chris Ashback said. “Today, we got great production from the lower half, but those first three guys always get us going. When they set the table, we can run our offense and start doing some things.”
No. 9 hitter Sean Miller gave the Chargers fits. He went 3-for-4 with RBI singles in the third and fifth innings.
“Sean Miller has been struggling a little bit this year, but toward the end of the season, he’s been getting some hits,” Ashback said of his catcher. “Defensively, he’s going to play no matter what, he’s our guy. But it’s nice to see him come alive offensively today.”
Mission Viejo scored twice in the third to take a 3-0 lead. Parker Anderson hit a one-out single to center, Jake Kuluris double to left and No. 7 hitter Danny Poe hit a RBI single to center. After a flyout to shortstop, Miller whacked a single to left to score Kuluris for a 3-0- lead.
Miller made it 4-0 in the fifth, singling in Kuluris, who led off the inning with a double..
Anderson squeezed home Ryan Rezlowski in the sixth to put the Diablos up 5-0.
“We competed defensively and competed on the mound and that kept us in the game,” Mendoza said. “To be down 5-0 and still have a change to win at the end, that’s all you can ask for. We had our opportunties, we sat on some big hits, We had a phenomenal year, a 20-win season, a championshipi in Tucson, Ariz., and some humungous wins against some quality teams. It’s nothing to hang their heads about. They had a great year.”
