ROYALS DOWN DOLPHINS 7-4, MOVE ON TO FINALS

By Jojo Santo Tomas

The Notre Dame Royals got a huge 3-run fourth inning to break open a tight game and advance to the high school baseball championship game with a 7-4 win over the Southern Dolphins, Thursday at the Okkodo Baseball Field.

After giving up runs to open the game, Royals pitcher Trace Taijeron and newly minted league MVP settled down and scattered six hits the rest of the way, allowing two more runs while striking out six, and allowing his defense to take care of the rest of the Southern sticks. He pitched a complete game, though it was shortened to six innings due to darkness.

“I gave up two early runs but I was like, ‘we gotta calm this down.’ I know the boys can get it, and heat up whenever we need it, and they did that,” said Taijeron. “I’m really proud of them today, they really had my back.”

Royals leadoff batter Ty Leon Guerrero struck out looking in his first at bat, then made the most of every opportunity after that. He followed up with an RBI single to give the Royals a brief lead in the second inning, then hit an RBI triple in the fourth and another single in the final inning.

“I’m always going to lead off the team so my goal is to get as deep as possible, get to two strikes, let my teammates see how the pitcher throws. Give them a good look,” he said. “After that, I just want to get a clean level swing on the ball and that’s it.”

Southern’s Kaden Cruz scored on a J’siah Cruz’s full-swing RBI bunt in the top of the third, tying the game at 3-3. Pitcher Terrance Amerna sent the Royals down in order in the third, and Taijeron returned the favor in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth – with two outs – is when the Royals stamped their ticket to the ship. Derrin Gumataotao led with a single to right, then scored on Nate Cruz’s stand-up double to left, a laser that zipped over third base and went straight to the outfield. After scoring Cruz on his shot to right field, Leon Guerrero hit his triple, then stole home to make it 6-3.

“I was looking for a way to hype up my team,” he said.

All seven of the Royal runs came with two outs.

The Dolphins turned a double play in the bottom of the fifth inning but left two runners stranded in their final at bat. Daniel Gumataotao also stole home for the Royals, accounting for ND’s final run of the game.

The win avenged their only loss of the season to Southern just last weekend in the final game of the regular season

ONE MORE FOR THE ‘SHIP

With the win, Royals move to Saturday’s championship game against the FD Friars at 2 pm at the Okkodo Field.

Both teams finished with identical 7-1 records, but it was the Royals who edged the Friars 3-2 in their head-to-head game in Week 1 of the season.

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