VILLA PARK – JSerra pitcher David Horn picked a great time to have his best game of the season.
Horn gave up one run on four hits in six innings Tuesday and drove in two runs in the Lions’ 4-1 win over Villa Park in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.
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JSerra pitcher David Horn delivers a pitch against Villa Park in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal playoff baseball game in Orange on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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JSerra’s Owen Fuller, right, watches as Jonathan Mendez, left, scores a run in the first inning for the Lions in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal playoff baseball game against Villa Park in Orange on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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After making the force out, JSerra shortstop Jonathan Mendez, left, jumps out of the way of a sliding Tyler Gordon of Villa Park in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal playoff baseball game in Orange on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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Villa Park shortstop Gavin Grahovac turns on his knees to to make the throw to first base in the first inning against jSerra in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal playoff baseball game in Orange on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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JSerra’s Brandon Chang lays down a bunt in the sixth inning against Villa Park in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal playoff baseball game in Orange on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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JSerra pitcher Tyler Gough silences the crowd after getting the last out of the game for the Lions to win the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal playoff against Villa Park in Orange on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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Villa Park second baseman Tyler Gordon reaches to field a sharp grounder in the second inning in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal playoff baseball game against JSerra in Orange on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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Villa Park catcher Jack Burke, right, drives JSerra’s Jackson Summers, left, back to third base after the Spartans catch him in a run down in the top of the sixth inning in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal playoff baseball game in Orange on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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A Villa Park drive to right field glances off the glove of JSerra Andrew Lamb in the seventh inning as the Spartans try to mount an offense in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal playoff baseball game in Orange on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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JSerra’s Jonathan Mendez connects for a hit in the first inning against Villa Park in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal playoff baseball game in Orange on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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Players on the JSerra team run to celebrate with pitcher Tyler Gough (12) after Gough got the last out to win the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal playoff baseball game against Villa Park in Orange on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
JSerra (22-10) will play Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks (24-7-1) in the championship game Friday at Cal State Fullerton. The game time will be announced Wednesday.
Notre Dame defeated Huntington Beach 2-0 in the other Division 1 semifinal Tuesday.
This will be JSerra’s second CIF-SS baseball final. The Lions lost 3-0 to Harvard-Westlake in last year’s Division 1 championship game. The Lions went on to win Division I in the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs last season.
Villa Park (25-5) continues its season in the regional playoffs that begin May 31.
Horn, a 6-3 senior right-hander, went into the game 4-4 with a 4.46 ERA.
“This year hasn’t quite been personally what I expected from myself,” said Horn, who signed with Vanderbilt.
He was confident, though, that he was ready to lead the Lions on Tuesday. Horn texted JSerra coach Brett Kay that he wanted to get the start against Villa Park.
“I said, ‘Hey, I want the ball,’” said Horn who struck out six Tuesday. “’I want to punch the ticket. I want to play for a championship again.’”
Kay said, “That’s the best outing we’ve seen from him all season.”
The Lions, who lost to Villa Park 11-3 in the Boras Classic South tournament championship game April 22, scored all of their runs in the first inning.
With one out Trent Caraway reached on an infield single. Lou Fujiwara and Owen Fuller were hit by pitches on back-to-back at-bats to load the bases. Jonathan Mendez pulled the first pitch he saw down the left-field line for a double to drive in Caraway and Fujiwara.
Horn’s hit to center field drove in Fuller and Mendez to make it 4-0. Horn was thrown out at second base when he tried to stretch his single into a double.
The Spartans got their run in the bottom of the seventh inning on an AJ Krodel single off of JSerra reliever Tyler Gough that drove in Jack Burke with no outs.
Gough struck out the next two batters, and then Villa Park’s sensational-hitting Gavin Grahovac (.404, team highs of five home runs and 24 RBIs) was intentionally walked. Gough struck out the next batter to end the game.
It’s been an interesting route to the Division 1 final for JSerra. The Lions on March 23 were 6-9 overall and 1-6 in the Trinity League. They then won nine in a row before the Boras Classic loss to Villa Park and won seven in a row after that including Tuesday’s win over Villa Park.
“They never quit on themselves,” said Kay, who has been JSerra’s coach since the 2007 season.
About Horn, Kay said: “What a fantastic performance by a senior leader. David Horn is one of the greatest kids we’ve ever had in our program. He deserves this.”
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