Villa Park advances in dramatic fashion, walks off Bishop Amat in first-round CIF playoff thriller

Villa Park senior right-handed pitcher Jake Nobles following Villa Park’s 8-7 playoff win over Bishop Amat. (PHOTO: Adam Kunin, For OC Sports Zone).

In a rematch from earlier this season, Villa Park High School’s baseball team survived a late push from Bishop Amat winning 8-7 at home in the first round of the Division I CIF playoffs Thursday.

After going down 7-2, the visiting Lancers (22-7) stormed back with a five-run frame in the fourth to set up a tense final three innings with the score deadlocked at 7-7. 

However, Villa Park (23-6) ended the standstill in the seventh, as Spartan sophomore outfielder Alex Lopez took home on a wild pitch to score the winning run for Villa Park, which won the first game between the two teams 6-3.

Villa Park moves on to the second round to face Aquinas (25-2) Tuesday at Aquinas.

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The close victory exemplified the toughness the Spartans have shown all season, especially in their tighter games.  

“I think our team has shown a lot of resilience this year,” Villa Park Coach Burt Call said. “And even though Bishop Amat did a good job tying the game up, we battled and found a way to win.”

When the Spartan bats began to struggle down the stretch, the squad relied upon senior right-handed pitcher Jake Nobles to hold the score even in the final few innings. 

With the weight of his team’s season on his shoulders, the senior responded resoundingly. 

Nobles held Bishop Amat scoreless in his three innings of work and fanned a trio of Lancers en route to picking up the win for Villa Park. 

“I was just trying to keep us in it and give us a chance to win the game later on,” Nobles said. “I just tried doing the most I could for the team to keep us competitive, keep our spirits high and the energy flowing.”

He also led the charge at the plate for the Spartans, as he went 2 for 2 and walked twice in his three-RBI performance. Additionally, he delivered the highlight of the day in the second inning when he launched a deep shot to left field to notch his first home run of the season.

The two-run homer was a welcome sight for Nobles, who waited until the playoffs to see one go over the fence. 

“I missed the feeling,” Nobles said. “I haven’t done it yet this year, and it felt really good to get back to it.”

Along with Nobles’ clutch outing, strong defense helped Villa Park shut the door on Bishop Amat.

Spartan catcher, senior Shawn Romero, threw out a few Lancers on the basepaths and commanded the home team from behind the dish to an impressive defensive showing. 

Villa Park now sets its sights on the second round of the playoffs against Ambassador League champion Aquinas.

But, before then, they’ll enjoy advancing to the second round of the CIF playoffs for the fourth straight season. 

“I mean that’s what we work all year for, is to put us in a position to get to the playoffs and then to win,” Call said. “We won game one, so we feel pretty fortunate. Our guys responded, and all their hard work is paying off.”