SGV wins Pacific regional, 9-1

GLENDALE — It might have taken a bit longer than Coach Phil Torres and Co. would have liked, but the San Gabriel Valley 16-18 Babe Ruth All-Stars are back in the Babe Ruth World Series, nonetheless.

The All-Stars, which feature a Crescenta Valley High coaching staff and six current or former Falcons players, defeated Modesto, 9-1, on Tuesday night in Watsonville in an if-necessary championship game of the Pacific Southwest Regional.

San Gabriel was defeated for the first time in the tournament when it lost to Modesto, 2-0, earlier in the evening, but any offensive ills were quickly remedied in the nightcap, as San Gabriel expunged a 1-0 deficit with a five-run outburst in the bottom of the first inning en route to the runaway victory.

“They just came up and got a quick run, but we answered back,” said Crescenta Valley junior Nate Rousey, who singled and drove in a run for San Gabriel Valley in the second game on Tuesday. “The pitcher [in the first game] was a little bit better than the second one, but in the second game we were just more enthusiastic and into it and we jumped on them quick.”

The victory advances San Gabriel to the World Series in Moses Lake, Wa. from Aug. 15-22. Torres’ squad won the World Series in 2007 for the third time in four years.

“We’re feeling pretty confident,” Rousey said. “We handled them pretty well, 9-1, so we’re feeling pretty good.”

On Tuesday, starter Jacob Cage of Glendora High went the distance for San Gabriel, allowing just two hits and striking out seven over seven innings.

“Jacob Cage pitched his butt off,” Torres said.

Matt Page of Azusa Pacific knocked in three runs, including two in the first, and Jerry McClanihan of Bishop Amat had two hits.

The locals also got in on the action, as Falcon Joe Sedano had a base hit and an RBI, while Elliott Surrey had a double to deep center field that Torres proclaimed as the longest hit ball of the tournament for a San Gabriel player.

Crescenta Valley graduate Sean Elliott, as well as current Falcons players Eddie Lee and Troy Prasertsit are on the team, which is also coached by assistants Dave Mendoza and Darrin Beer of Crescenta Valley.

“We just really came out focused and wanted to really come out and make a statement in the first inning after we lost in the first game,” Sedano, a senior, said. “We were pretty much completely shut down in that first game and we wanted to come out and show we were ready to play and we wanted to win it.”

The first game saw Modesto’s ace lockdown San Gabriel for the most part.

“We had a couple of chances, but we couldn’t cash them in,” Torres said.

Still, Paul Paez of Bishop Amat pitched well in the first game, allowing one unearned run over five innings.

Paez and Cage were All-Tournament picks, while Cody Regis of UCLA was the tournament most valuable player.

According to Torres, San Gabriel will begin the World Series on Aug. 16 when it faces off against Alabama.

— Gabriel Rizk contributed to this story