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Warriors close Lions Tournament with win

The Lions Tournament is the nation's largest high school baseball tournament, and this year Fallbrook High School concluded Lions Tournament play with a win over Palo Verde Valley High School.

The Blythe squad came to Fallbrook for the March 31 contest, and the Warriors took a 9-2 victory over the Yellow Jackets.

The Lions Tournament is held the week before Easter. Fallbrook had a 1-2 record in this year's tournament. "I'm a little disappointed," Fallbrook assistant coach Cody Chavez said.

Fallbrook began Lions Tournament play March 29 and hosted El Camino that day. The Wildcats were on the preferred end of the 13-1 final score.

"We were able to bounce back for our second game," Chavez said.

The Warriors had an 8-0 lead March 30 at El Capitan, but an eight-run Vaqueros inning erased that advantage and the game ended as a 9-8 El Capitan victory.

"That was tough," Chavez said.

Each team plays a game on each of the first three days of the Lions Tournament, and teams which advance to the playoffs will play on a fourth consecutive day.

"It's tough three games in a row, especially early in the season," Chavez said.

It forces teams to have three or four starting pitchers who can be competitive. Fallbrook Head Coach Pat Walker sent senior Brady Hoff to the mound against Palo Verde. Hoff allowed two runs in the first inning but held the Yellow Jackets scoreless for the next five frames and sophomore Tanyon Smith pitched a shutout seventh inning. Hoff allowed only three hits and three walks while striking out seven.

The Warriors scored five runs in the bottom of the first, two runs in the third, and two runs in the sixth.

"We recovered. We bounced back very well," Chavez said.

While at the plate, Smith had two doubles in four plate appearances. He drove in one run, scored twice, and stole a base. All four of junior Mitchell Baker's plate appearances resulted in reaching base; he was hit twice, walked once and had a double while scoring two runs. Hoff was also hit by a pitch, walked once and had a single in four plate appearances while driving in one run and stealing one base. The three plate appearances for sophomore Peyton Vanyke included two singles; he scored one run and drove in one teammate. Two runs were driven in by freshman Jose Cervantes, who had a hit in three at-bats.

Last year the Lions Tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus shutdown.

"It's good to be back," Chavez said.

Chavez himself is back with the Fallbrook baseball program. He played for the Warriors before graduating from Fallbrook High School in 2008. Chavez now teaches biology and human anatomy at the high school. This is his first year on the Warriors' coaching staff.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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