HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL: GOLDEN HIT FOR KNIGHTS SMALE'S WALK-OFF HOME RUN IN 9TH LIFTS ST. FRANCIS ST. FRANCIS 6, WEST TORRANCE 5 (9).Byline: ERIK BOAL Special to the Daily News PASADENA -- Taylor Smale's flair for the dramatic finally gave St. Francis High of La Canada Flintridge its long-awaited shot at history. After his seventh-inning at-bat resulted in a fly out to the warning track in left field at Brookside Park, Smale made sure his next shot traveled that much further and meant that much more for the Golden Knights
Smale hit a walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game — either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning. with one out in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday, lifting the host Golden Knights to a 6-5 victory over West Torrance in the Southern Section Div. II baseball semifinals. ``This event is going to last my lifetime,'' said Smale, whose shot over the left-center field fence helped St. Francis (25-4) reach its first championship game in program history. ``I'm going to keep it in my head my whole life. I'm never going to forget this. This team is amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. . It's unbelievable.'' The senior first baseman's third home run of the season helped the Golden Knights secure a matchup with Foothill of Santa Ana Santa Ana, city, El Salvador Santa Ana (sän'tä ä`nä), city (1993 pop. 129,873), W El Salvador. It is the second largest city in the country and the commercial and processing center for a sugarcane, coffee, and cattle region. (26-4) -- a 9-2 winner over Claremont -- at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Angel Stadium. The way junior pitcher Luke Collis baffled West Torrance (23-8-1) through the first six innings INNINGS, estates. Lands gained from the sea by draining. Cunn. L. Dict. h. t.; Law of Sewers, 31. , it didn't appear that St.Francis would need a fantastic finish to extend its season. But after Collis struck out the opening batter in the seventh, the Warriors recorded three consecutive hits to force St.Francis coach Mike Solar to replace his starter with senior Christian Bergman. West Torrance tagged Bergman (9-2) with two hits and two walks to tie the score at 5-5 and force extra innings Noun 1. extra innings - overtime play until one team is ahead at the end of an inning; e.g. baseball extra time, overtime - playing time beyond regulation, to break a tie . ``In the seventh inning in·ning n. 1. a. Baseball One of nine divisions or periods of a regulation game, in which each team has a turn at bat as limited by three outs. b. innings (used with a sing. , when we were in complete control of that game, to have those guys score those runs was disappointing, no question,'' Solar said. ``But I told them when they came in that stuff like this happens in the playoffs. You just got to be able to battle through it.'' Bergman retired the final eight batters BATTeRS (バッターズ) stands for Bisei Asteroid Tracking Telescope for Rapid Survey. It is a Japanese project to find asteroids. It is associated with the Japanese Spaceguard Association. Members include Takeshi Urata. he faced, setting the stage for Smale's heroics. ``I came in and just focused on getting outs,'' Bergman said. ``Maybe we got a little ahead of ourselves and they tied it up. ``We were not going to change a thing that we do. We were going to fight all day if we had to.'' -- Rick Newman contributed erik.boal@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: St. Francis High's Taylor Smale celebrates his winning home run as he rounds third in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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