Baseball: Esperanza is off to 5-0 start

If the first five games are any indications, put down Anaheim Esperanza as one of the best baseball teams in Orange County.

The Aztecs improved to 5-0 on Friday with a 5-3 victory over Gahr. Griffin Barnes went three for three and five pitchers combined to limit Gahr to four hits.

No. 1 Harvard-Westlake (6-0) received a three-run home run from sophomore Cameron Deere in a 10-4 win over Oaks Christian. Jackson Grayson had a two-run home run. John Thomas had two hits.

In a battle of unbeaten Baseline League teams, Glendora (6-0) defeated Upland, 3-1. Eric Flores struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. Kale Morton got the save. Griffen Herrera had two dubles and Alex Briggs contributed two hits.

Tuning up for the Trinity League, JSerra defeated Corona, 2-1, in eight innings. Chase Strumpf and Jake Pries, a pair of UCLA commits, each had two hits. Pries won the game with a walk-off home run.

Orange Lutheran defeated Foothill, 7-2. Lance Simpson had three hits and two RBIs.

Trabuco Hills knocked off Huntington Beach, 5-4. Beckman defeated Valencia, 7-0. Daniel Griese had three hits and threw 6 1/3 shutout innings, striking out six.

Sophomore Chris Moya drove in the winning run in the ninth inning to give Bishop Amat a 1-0 victory over Capistrano Valley. Isaac Archer threw four scoreless innings in relief to pick up the victory.

Aaron Sheridan threw a complete game in Etiwanda’s 3-2 win over Crescenta Valley.

Gardena Serra defeated Crenshaw, 13-1. Denz’l Chapman hit a three-run home run.

Sun Valley Poly defeated Roosevelt, 2-0. Jason Cisneros threw a complete game, striking out 11.

Granada Hills Kennedy defeated Bell, 5-4, in eight innings. Felix Rubi struck out six and walked none. Chris Sandberg went three for four and had a game-winning squeeze bunt.

John Cashman threw a complete game in Chatsworth’s 4-1 win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Freshman Tommy Palomera followed with six shutout innings to give the Chancellors a sweep of Notre Dame, 7-3.

Birmingham got its first victory with a 4-3 win over Crespi. Freshman Justin Rorick drove in the winning run with an RBI single.

El Camino Real defeated West Ranch, 2-0. Brian Oleesky threw five shutout innings. West Ranch won the second game, 6-5.

Matt Ryhlick had two home runs and five RBIs in Mission Viejo’s 10-1 win over La Habra.

Taft defeated Sierra Canyon, 5-4. Sylmar defeated Wilson, 12-2. Mark Razo struck out eight in five innings. Jose Arias hit a home run. Hoover defeated Venice, 9-2. Fidel Hernandez had a home run and three RBIs.

Chino Hills stayed unbeaten with a 7-1 win over Riverside Poly. Aaron Dominguez struck out seven in six innings.

Campbell Hall defeated Viewpoint, 3-1. Eli Edwards allowed four hits.

Warren defeated South Gate, 11-1. Brandon Hernandez, Steven Nuno and Chuck Castaneda each had two hits.

Moorpark defeated Arleta, 13-0. Sherman Brawner and Blake Chiaramonte each had three hits. Marshall defeated Cleveland, 3-1.

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