Kennedy captures much needed Golden West League victory against Segerstrom

Kennedy players look on as Segerstrom takes infield practice Friday. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Kennedy High School’s baseball team improved its chances of reaching the CIF playoffs, defeating Segerstrom 5-2 in a Golden West League game Friday afternoon at Segerstrom.

The teams were scheduled to meet Thursday, but that game was cancelled on the same day that Segerstrom’s baseball program was put on probation until next February for several CIF violations.

Segerstrom must forfeit all of its wins this year, including Tuesday’s victory over Kennedy and Jaguars Coach Erasmo Ramirez has been removed from coaching duties, according to Santa Ana Unified School District officials.

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Kennedy coach Tom Monahan said he did not know if his team would be awarded a forfeit win from Thursday’s cancelled game and had no comment on the Segerstrom probation. All remaining games will not count on Segerstrom’s record, according to SAUSD officials.

Fighting Irish starter Anthony Hernandez went the distance, scattering six hits to earn his fifth win of the season. striking out six The Fighting Irish (14-9, 5-3) jumped into third place. Segerstrom had led the league until this week.

“It was a game we had to win to keep our playoff hopes alive,” Monahan said. “We knew they weren’t going to just lay down and die, their players that were playing had something to prove to each other and to prove to their teammates. It was a good, hard fought win for us. We did well, we found a way to score runs, we had to sac flies and I got a couple RBI that way and Anthony pitched a great ball game.”

Kennedy had seven hits off four Segerstrom pitchers and took advantage of six walks and three hit batters.

Travis Bergman had a single and scored in the second inning to tie the game 1-1 and wound up with three runs scored, three RBI and four stolen bases.

“We’re just trying to get guys on base and find a way to get them in, when he stole third base at the end, it was a plan to steal third base and see if they throw it away,” Monahan said.

In the seventh Bergman stole second and third and on his second steal, scored an overthrow at third base.

Segerstrom took the early lead in the first inning when Adrian Covarrubias was hit by a pitch, went to second on an error and scored on a stolen base of home before Zack Bretza was caught in a rundown between first and second.

The Jaguars moved out to a 2-1 lead in the second inning. Marcos Valleriano scored on an RBI single by Tito Fraser.

But Kennedy countered with three straight runs. In the fourth inning, Anthony Vasquez singled and came around to score on an infield error. Then, Ayden Torres delivered a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and Carlos Tapia had one in the sixth.

In the meantime, Hernandez settled down, blanking Segerstrom in the final five innings.

“I think it was just finding my groove, finding my rhythm and being able to repeat my mechanics, simple things like that and really zone in,” said Hernandez. “It was a big win, I think we really made a statement because these guys were one of the more competitive teams in our league.”

Issac Acosta pitched into the fifth inning for Segerstrom, allowing the first three runs. Jacob Ceja had two hits for the Jaguars.

“We played hard, it’s unfortunate, Kennedy played good sound baseball, they laid down the bunts when they needed to, got the guy over to third if they needed to and got the sac fly just like that,” said Segerstrom assistant coach Sebastian Lopez. “It was a 2-2 game, and then we just made a mental error of throwing the ball away over at third.”

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