PHOTOS: Crean Lutheran uses big hitting attack and solid pitching to advance

Crean Lutheran players and Coach Jake Haney support their teammates during Tuesday’s playoff game. (Photos courtesy John Luciano, Wendy Rueter, Crean Lutheran Shutterbugs)

Crean Lutheran High School’s baseball team was on another hitting tear Tuesday in the second round of the CIF Division 5 playoffs.

The No. 4-seeded Saints captured a 15-0 victory over St. Anthony of Long Beach in front of a large turnout at Crean Lutheran to advance into the quarterfinal round Friday against Laguna Hills at Laguna Hills.

To see the slide show, please click on the first photo. For best results go to ocsportszone.com

Crean Lutheran, which scored 13 runs Thurday in a win against Century, broke the game open Tuesday with eight runs in the third inning.

“Their guy (starter Chris Jones) was doing a really good job for two innings, we had absolutely nothing going,” said Crean Lutheran Coach Jake Haney. “The difference is once we got a baserunner to third and we got him in the stretch and he wasn’t as comfortable in the stretch, four pitch walk, we execute, load up the bases and then we start hitting the ball hard.

“And then I think he had to be really aggressive with no free passes and we made him pay a little bit.”

Crean Lutheran sent 11 batters to the plate in the third inning, Mark Fedro got the inning going with an infield single. Darin Hahn had a bunt single to load the bases. Luke Wilson had a two-run single, Michael Panichi drove home a run on a groundout and Min Sung Choo drove home two runs with a base hit.

The Saints hit around again in the sixth inning, scoring seven more runs to take a 15-0 lead.

Hahn led the offensive attack, going 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored, Wilson was 2 for 4 with a triple, two RBI and a stolen base, Tittle was 2 for 3 with a double and three RBI and Choo was 1 for 4 with three RBI.

The Saints got strong pitching from the starter Panichi, who pitched 4 2/3 innings to get the win. Panichi (8-2) allowed two hits and struck out five. Matt Mahoney and Tate Fitzgerald completed the shutout.

“They did a great job,” Haney said. “The strike zone was small today. You go through the season and you have different experiences. It was the same way when we played at Tustin. Michael was pitching and the strike zone was really small and he got frustrated. We talked to him about whining about the strike zone.

“Michael was really kind of calm today even when he didn’t get some calls. And they just found a way to make good pitches at the right time, so that was big.”

“We played well and played to the best of our ability and it showed today, which was nice,” Panichi added.

St. Anthony had two runners on in the first inning but could not score. The Saints also loaded the bases in the fifth inning. Nyle Leomiti doubled with one out, then a walk and an error gave St. Anthony a chance to break the shutout but Mahoney registered a strike out to end the threat.

Now, the Saints move on to face Laguna Hills.

“They play in a good league and they’re battle tested,” Haney said. “I’m sure they’re going to give us all we can handle so we better play well. Obviously, the beautiful thing is if you got to go on the road to the quarters, you might as well go 20 minutes away.

“I’m really proud of these guys, putting the program back where it belongs. We had a couple years that were really tough and these guys have been a really, fun group to coach and the belief in themselves is probably like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

––Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com