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    Gary Morse, Derek Curiel lead Orange Lutheran baseball to win over Santa Margarita in CIF regional semifinals
    • May 31, 2024

    ORANGE — Gary Morse’s pitching and Derek Curiel’s speed added up to a win for Orange Lutheran’s baseball team Thursday.

    Morse pitched a one-hit shutout and Curiel scored twice in the Lancers’ 3-0 win over Santa Margarita in a CIF Southern California Regional Division I semifinal playoff game at Hart Park.

    Evan Wiley #16 of Orange Lutheran lays down a bunt to drive in a run in the second inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Trevor Banning #1 of Santa Margarita missed the tag on Derek Curiel #4 of Orange Lutheran in the fifth inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Gary Morse #13 of Orange Lutheran pitches in the first inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Brody Schumaker #5 of Santa Margarita throws to first as Finnegan Stewart #17 of Orange Lutheran is forced out on a double play in the 4th inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Brady Murrietta #22 of Orange Lutheran is caught in a rundown when Brody Schumaker #5 of Santa Margarita threw the ball to first base. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Gavin Hottle #25 of Orange Lutheran forces out Brody Schumaker #5 of Santa Margarita at second base in the fourth inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Gary Morse #13 of Orange Lutheran gets a pat after throwing a scoreless 5th inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Hayden George #22 of Santa Margarita pitches in the first inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Hamilton Friedberg #14 of Orange Lutheran scores on a bunt by Evan Wiley #16 when Carter Enoch #16 of Santa Margarita can’t make the tag in the second inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Evan Wiley #16 of Orange Lutheran gives some encouragement to Gary Morse #13 of Orange Lutheran in the fifth inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Trevor Banning #1 of Santa Margarita missed the tag on Derek Curiel #4 of Orange Lutheran in the fifth inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Hamilton Friedberg #14 of Orange Lutheran is safe at second base when Brody Schumaker #5 of Santa Margarita gets the throw late in the second inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Brody Schumaker #5 of Santa Margarita makes a throw to catch the runner at first base in the fifth inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Hayden George #22 of Santa Margarita pitches in the first inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Gavin Hottle #25 of Orange Lutheran fields the ball in the fourth inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Gary Morse #13 of Orange Lutheran is congratulated for his shutout 3-0 win over Santa Margarita in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Derek Curiel #4 of Orange Lutheran is congratulated after scoring a run in the fifth inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Derek Curiel #4 of Orange Lutheran avoids a tag from Blake Ankrum #4 of Santa Margarita diving back to first base in the fifth inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Trevor Banning #1 of Santa Margarita is not able to pick up a bunt by Derek Curiel #4 of Orange Lutheran in the fifth inning. Santa Margarita played Orange Lutheran in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional baseball playoffs on May. 30, 2024 in Orange, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

    Orange Lutheran sophomore Gary Morse pitched a one-hitter in the Lancers’ 3-0 win over Santa Margarita on Thursday in the CIF Southern California Division I semifinals Thursday. (Photo by Steve Fryer, The Orange County Register/SCNG)

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    Orange Lutheran (27-7) will play La Mirada (25-7) in the Division I championship game Saturday at Hart Park. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. but could be moved to a night game if La Mirada agrees to the change and the change is approved by the CIF State office.

    The Lancers beat La Mirada 9-4 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals on May 10.

    Santa Margarita finished 22-10-1. The Eagles were second to Orange Lutheran in the Trinity League and had defeated Orange Lutheran in two of their three league games. Santa Margarita was 4-0 against Orange Lutheran last season, including three league wins and a CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals victory.

    Orange Lutheran finished No. 1 and Santa Margarita No. 2 in the final Orange County baseball rankings.

    Morse, a 6-foot-8 sophomore right-hander, had five strikeouts with no walks and hit three batters. He is 6-2 with a 1.18 ERA.

    Morse said his success came from throwing strikes, staying ahead in counts and trusting his teammates in the infield and outfield.

    “It’s pretty easy to pitch when you have those guys behind you,” he said.

    Orange Lutheran third baseman Wyatt Hanoian made a leaping grab of a line drive and threw to first base for a force out for a double play in the second inning.

    The Lancers turned another double play in the fourth inning after Brody Schumaker led off the inning with a single for the Eagles’ only hit, and right fielder Vinny Hudson made a running catch of a foul ball in the fifth.

    Curiel, a senior center fielder who signed with LSU and is projected to be an early-round selection in the MLB Draft in July, hit an opposite-field double into left field with one out in the first inning. Curiel moved to third base on Josiah Hartshorn’s single and scored on Brady Murrietta’s fly out to left field for a 1-0 lead.

    The Lancers pushed their lead to 2-0 in the second inning when Hamilton Friedberg singled and eventually scored on Evan Wiley’s ground out.

    With two outs in the fifth inning Curiel pushed a bunt toward third base and was three-quarters the way to first base before Santa Margarita third baseman Trevor Banning could make an unsuccessful barehanded grab-and-throw effort.

    Curiel took off on a steal attempt on a pitch that was wild and reached the backstop, enabling Curiel to round second base and reach third safely. Hartshorn walked. Curiel scored on a double steal to make it 3-0.

    “Curiel can just take over a game,” Orange Lutheran coach Eric Borba said. “You saw his tools. The double and the first-to-third on the wild pitch, and the drag bunt. He is a catalyst.”

    Borba said the Lancers have plenty of rested pitchers for Saturday, including Ross Clark who is 8-0 with a 0.82 ERA and Colt Peterson who is 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA.

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    ​ Orange County Register 

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