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NOTRE DAME — Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks baseball’s Brandon Gonzaga knew he was going to get the signal before he even looked at assistant coach Randy Thompson.
Orange Lutheran had intentionally walked Dean West, loading the bases in the eighth inning. Gonzaga received confirmation from Thompson, then subsequently laid down the bunt that would send the Knights to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.
“We’ve had a strong trust with each otters all year when it comes to the bunt,” Gonzaga said. “I was just thinking to myself, if I can get it down, I know I’m fast enough to get there.”
Gonzaga’s bunt scored Ryan Limerick to give Notre Dame a 5-4 win over Orange Lutheran in eight innings and a berth to the semifinals at Huntington Beach Tuesday afternoon. The Oilers beat Foothill 12-5.
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Notre Dame players look on from the dugout as they host Orange Lutheran in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinal game May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Orange Lutheran starting pitcher Chase Cummings throws a pitch as they face Notre Dame in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinal game Friday.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Notre Dame’s Christian Miranda makes a play at shortstop against Orange Lutheran in their CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinal game May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Notre Dame’s Jack Gurevitch reacts after getting hit by a pitch as they face Orange Lutheran in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal game May 13, 2022. Notre Dame would go on to score 3 runs in the inning.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Notre Dame’s Jack Gurevitch is hit by a pitch as they face Orange Lutheran in CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal action May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Brandon Gonzaga completes a double play for Notre Dame as they defeat Orange Lutheran in extra innings during their CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal game May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Notre Dame baseball coach Tom Dill leads his team against Orange Lutheran in their CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinal game May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Brandon Gonzaga completes a double play for Notre Dame as they defeat Orange Lutheran in extra innings during their CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal game May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Brandon Gonzaga reacts after completing a double play for Notre Dame as they defeat Orange Lutheran in extra innings during their CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal game May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Brandon Gonzaga makes a play at second for Notre Dame as they defeat Orange Lutheran in extra innings in their CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinal game May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Notre Dame’s Brandon Gonzaga runs the bases against Orange Lutheran in CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal action May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Notre Dame’s Jack Gurevitch heads for home on a 2-run double by Christian Miranda as they play Orange Lutheran in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinal game May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Orange Lutheran starting pitcher Chase Cummings looks for a call from the third base umpire as they face Notre Dame in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinal game Friday.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Orange Lutheran’s Karson Bowen heads for third against Notre Dame in their CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal baseball game Friday May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Notre Dame pitcher Cole Clark makes a play on an Orange Lutheran bunt during their CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinal game May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Orange Lutheran’s Mikey Romero can’t get to a hard hit ball as they face Notre Dame in their CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal baseball game Friday May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Orange Lutheran baseball coach Eric Borba against Notre Dame in their CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal baseball game Friday May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Notre Dame’s Christian Miranda high fives pitcher Cole Clark as they play Orange Lutheran in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinal game May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Notre Dame’s Christian Miranda high fives pitcher Cole Clark as they play Orange Lutheran in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinal game May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
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Notre Dame’s Brandon Gonzaga steals second behind the tag of Orange Lutheran’s Chase Cummings during their CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinal game Friday May 13, 2022.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Notre Dame pitcher Cole Clark threw six scoreless innings before being relieved by Diego Herrara after Clark reached 100 pitches thrown.
Orange Lutheran forced extra innings with a four-run seventh frame that tied the game at 4-all. Karson Bowen scored a run on a sacrifice fly for the Lancers’ first run. Mikey Romero was walked immediately after, then Casey Borba hit a three-run homer that tied up the game.
“Right before that pitch, I said a little prayer,” coach Eric Borba, who is also Casey’s dad, said. “It’s about as joyous an occasion as you can have. To see him have that at the end was a pretty cool way to end the season.”
While the Lancers (22-8) went scoreless through the first six innings, Notre Dame (23-7-1) started producing in the third inning.
Greg Pierantoni and Gonzaga (3-for-5) both singled to get on base, Jack Gurevitch was hit by a pitch, then Madden Ocko singled to drive in Pierantoni. Christian Miranda doubled off the wall after that for two more runs.
“He came up big with that,” Knights coach Tom Dill said of Miranda. “That was a big moment in the game, timely hitting and you’ve got to be able to do that.”
Brandon Gonzaga’s walk-off hit in the eighth inning sends Notre Dame to the Division 1 semifinals.
Final: Notre Dame 5, Orange Lutheran 4 pic.twitter.com/zk8QCLoFhm
— Haley Sawyer (@haleymsawyer) May 14, 2022
Ocko hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to give Notre Dame a 4-0 lead while the defense worked tirelessly at one point turning three double plays in four innings. Gurevitch, a first baseman, also had a diving catch to get out of the third inning.
“Our guys just stuck their nose in it and picked them clean,” Dill said. “I told the guys I thought we had 12 (double plays). It was amazing.”
It’s another example of that trust between players as well as coaches. As the Knights posed for photos after the win, they each formed an “O” with their hands, a symbol of looseness and the team’s mentality.
“(The ‘O’) emits positive energy for us,” Gonzaga said. “At the end of the day, this is still a game, and we always want to stay mindful of that.”
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