Dana Hills boys volleyball pulls out win over Diamond Ranch in second round of playoffs

• April 30, 2023

DANA POINT — The Dana Hills boys volleyball team extended its storybook season by beating Diamond Ranch in five sets in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs.

Dana Hills (23-13) beat Diamond Ranch 25-11, 17-25, 21-25, 25-21, 16-14 Saturday at Dana Hills High.

The Dolphins will host Crossroads in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

Dana Hills wins the 5th set 16-14 to beat Diamond Ranch. Dana will play Crossroads in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. @ocvarsity @SteveFryer @latsondheimer @SouthOCsports @dhhs_athletics pic.twitter.com/FPLv9m8CNa

— Michael Huntley (@mikehuntley63) April 30, 2023

Dana Hills was winless in 2021 and 2022 and had a 28-game losing streak before winning a tournament game against Chaparral in late February. This is the Dolphins’ first playoff appearance since 2019.

“These boys struggled but came to practice every day wanting to work hard,” Dana Hills coach Spencer Andrews said. “When I got hired I said, ‘what do you want out of this year?’ and they said they wanted to get after it. The story here is if you don’t give up and work your butt off, sometimes magic happens.”

Saturday’s match was full of peaks and valleys for the Dolphins. Dana Hills dominated the first set but did not play well in the next two sets and lost both.

“Diamond Ranch is a heck of a team with some dynamic players and they are well-coached,” Andrews said. “It was a battle. Ultimately, we took some timeouts and took deep breaths and our boys stayed composed. They are awesome kids.”

While many teams rely on a pair of strong outside hitters to score, Dana Hills spreads the ball around well and has several players who can hit effectively.

Andrews credits the team’s setter, Christian Anderson, and the team’s close bond for the balanced play.

“We have an amazing setter and our team chemistry is off the charts,” Andrews said. “These guys hang out after school everyday. They surf, play beach volleyball and get food together every day. It’s a cliche but it really does feel like a family.”

The Dana Hills blocking unit, led by Seamus Flynn made it difficult for Diamond Ranch (23-11) to score late. Flynn led the Dolphins in blocks and was fourth on the team in kills.

The Dolphins have seven players who will play collegiate volleyball next year, but Flynn is the lone player with a Division I scholarship, to Long Island University.

“He’s an absolute workhorse and is always the first guy in the gym,” Andrews said. “He’s one of my favorite kids to coach and he’s an awesome teammate.”

Sebastian Naficy and Nick Cespedes led the Dolphins in scoring. Jack Andrew had the lone service ace of the match for the Dolphins.

Diamond Ranch won the Hacienda League this season and swept Oxford Academy in the first round.

Dane Santoyo led both teams in kills Saturday and freshman Mario Portillo had back-to-back aces for the Panthers to finish the third set.

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Julie Ertz scores, Angel City FC manages tie with Portland

• April 30, 2023

Julie Ertz scored in the 78th minute to put Angel City (1-2-2) in front but finish with 3-3 tie against Portland. Ertz just recently joined the team following a long layoff from the league because of injuries and the birth of her son.

Alyssa Thompson, an 18-year-old who was drafted by Angel City out of high school, scored in the 10th minute. Portland pulled even in the 31st when Ertz fouled Portland’s Crystal Dunn in the box and Hina Sugita converted on the penalty.

Goalkeeper Bella Bixby scored in stoppage time and Portland remained undefeated to start the season.

Bixby became just the second goalkeeper ever to score in the NWSL with her backheel goal as Portland (3-0-2) scrambled in the waning moments at Portland’s Providence Park.

Morgan Weaver took a well-timed pass from Olivia Moultrie and scored from a tight angle to give the Thorns the lead in the 65th, but Katie Johnson pulled Angel City back into a tie with a header in the 74th.

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Santa Anita horse racing consensus picks, Sunday, April 30, 2023

• April 30, 2023

The consensus box of Santa Anita horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Art Wilson, Terry Turrell and Eddie Wilson. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Sunday, April 30, 2023.

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Galaxy falls to Ercan Kara, Orlando City

• April 30, 2023

ORLANDO, Fla. — Ercan Kara had a goal and an assist to power Orlando City to a 2-0 victory over the Galaxy on Saturday night.

Orlando City (4-3-2) took a 1-0 lead into halftime on a goal by Kara in the 38th minute. Michael Halliday and Antônio Carlos picked up assists on Kara’s first netter of the season.

Orlando City upped its lead to 2-0 when Facundo Torres took passes from Martín Ojeda and Kara and scored in the 57th minute.

Orlando City snapped a three-match skid at home. Orlando City has lost 11 matches at home since the start of last season after losing just 12 times in Orlando in the previous three seasons combined.

The Galaxy (1-5-3) were coming off their first win of the season. The Galaxy had gone 3-0-2 in its previous five road matches against Eastern Conference teams. The Galaxy are 0-3-2 away from home this season.

The Galaxy had a 15-14 edge in shots, but Orlando City took six shots on goal to just three for the Galaxy.

Pedro Gallese totaled three saves for Orlando City. Jonathan Klinsmann saved four shots for the Galaxy.

The teams each had three victories in six all-time match-ups. The visitors won the previous two matches by 1-0 scores after 20 goals were scored in the first four meetings.

The Galaxy return home to host the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. Orlando City travels to play Montreal on Saturday.

​ Orange County Register 

Michael Huntley breaks down the boys and girls CIF-SS lacrosse playoffs

• April 30, 2023

Last year, Orange County lacrosse teams won CIF Southern Sections championships in boys Divisions 1 and 2 and in girls Division 1 and 2.

This is the first year that CIF-SS used the Massey computer ratings to build the playoff pairings, and it appears that there will be much more competitive games in the early rounds in Division 1.

The most notable first-round matchup in boys Division 1 is between two of the county’s powerhouse programs, St. Margaret’s and Foothill. If someone told me in the preseason that these two programs would be playing for the CIF championship, I would not have been surprised. Instead, we will see one of these elite programs eliminated in the first round Thursday.

I am sure neither coach is happy about such a challenging opening matchup, but it beats what we have had the last two seasons with 10-goal margins of victory in first-round games.

Foothill has been a runner-up in both seasons since the playoffs have been under the CIF umbrella. Luke Fox is a county player of the year candidate with 106 points. Foothill does not have a star goalie like they have had the past couple of years, but they are just as good on offense with Fox, Jackson Hines and Connor Pietras.

St. Margaret’s has the best college prospect in the county with Penn commit Austin Hicks. Owen Binder is also an elite scorer for the Tartans.

JSerra vs. Trabuco Hills is also an intriguing round one matchup. JSerra is hot and coming off a big win recently over Servite. Jack Neiger has been great at goalie and Jack Almy is one of the top offensive players in the Trinity League.

Trabuco Hills blew through the South Coast League and beat JSerra 12-8 in the season opener. Darrell Curtis and Jack Armstrong are good scorers for the Mustangs and Tristan Bassett is one of the top face-off specialists in the county.

Aliso Niguel is the No. 2 seed in Division 2 and is the defending champion in that division. Tommy Smith is one of the better sophomores in the county and CJ Bessuzi is an experienced goalie. The Wolverines will host Yorba Linda in round one.

The two biggest threats to Aliso Niguel’s attempt to repeat as champions are Santiago of Corona and San Juan Hills. The Wolverines are 3-0 against those teams this season but San Juan Hills nearly beat them in the Sea View League championship game. Duke Devault has 112 points for the Stallions.

Woodbridge and Canyon is a fun county matchup in the first round of Division 3. Canyon beat Yorba Linda for the first time in school history to get a second-place finish in the Crestview League. Woodbridge tied for third in the Pacific Coast League and beat Beckman for the first time in school history this season.

In the girls lacrosse playoffs:

Foothill has won both CIF Division 1 championships and is once again the heavy favorite in Division 1. The Knights are more balanced on offense this season with no star scorer, but they have a good trio of Mia Marchetti, Tatum Walshe and Kayla Agarie. Mikayla Yang is a three-year starter at goalie for Foothill.

St. Margaret’s vs. Santa Margarita is the only Division 1 first-round game between Orange County teams. Lauren Lam leads the Tartans with 99 points and Minka Martinez has 75 points.

San Clemente dominated the South Coast League with twins Sophia and Charlotte Yeskulsky. Emma Massamiri is a good senior for the Tritons who is second on the team in points and the leader in caused turnovers.

Murrieta Mesa is the top seed in Division 2, but there are quality county teams in the field.

Corona del Mar nearly beat Division 1 Edison for the Sunset League championship. Frankie Garcia and Abby Grace both have over 100 points and Garcia hit the 200 career goals milestone last week.

Mater Dei is an intriguing Division 2 team. It was competitive against Santa Margarita in the Trinity League championship game. Kate Caffarelli leads the Monarchs and Juliana Stepanoff is one of the better defenders in the county.

Portola is the top seed in Division 3 and is the only county team with just one loss. Jadyn Zdanavage hits a new scoring milestone every week and is a four-sport athlete. Jadyn Kohan is also a capable scorer for the Bulldogs.

El Toro is a sleeper team in Division 3 despite having to play in a wild-card round game. Emily Doane leads the team in scoring and Megan Klepacki was All-County last season. Mikayla Sims is a very good goalie who kept the Chargers competitive in the tough South Coast League.

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Kings eliminated from playoffs after Game 6 loss to Oilers

• April 30, 2023

LOS ANGELES –– The beautiful dream that was the Kings’ campaign has ended, smited for the second straight season by the Edmonton Oilers, who prevailed 5-4 Saturday at Crypto.com Arena to eliminate the Kings in six games.

It was a first-round series whose intensity may not be matched even by seven-game affairs in the later stages of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, wherein lead changes abounded and one-goal games were the standard.

Winger Kevin Fiala spearheaded the attack with a goal and two primary assists. Winger Adrian Kempe, defenseman Sean Durzi and center Phillip Danault also scored goals, while winger Viktor Arvidsson added two assists. Joonas Korpisalo made 21 saves in his sixth consecutive start.

Edmonton winger Kailer Yamamoto scored the series winner and had an assist on the Oilers’ prior goal. Forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combined for three points. Depth forward Klim Kostin matched their production, racking up two goals and an assist. Defenseman Evan Bouchard remained hot with two more assists. Stuart Skinner brushed off a late blunder and stopped 40 shots.

With 3:02 to play, Yamamoto put the Oilers ahead for good, potting his first goal of the postseason in timely fashion.

Though the two precise power plays on display the story of the series and the game, and rightfully so, it was a major gaffe that led to a shorthanded goal. Skinner played the puck directly to Danault all alone in front of the Edmonton net, where he summarily deposited the puck to push the score to 4-4.

Edmonton had gone into the second intermission with a 4-3 lead thanks to Kostin’s second tally, with 9:06 left in the second period. A Kings turnover in their own zone led to a sterling bid for Kailer Yamamoto, which left a rebound the Kostin stuffed home.

At the 8:16 mark of the middle frame, Fiala, who’d earned the primary assists on the Kings’ first two goals, left the game knotted anew with a power-play goal, a shot from the top of the left circle that was deflected upon release by Edmonton’s Nick Bjugstad. The two clubs combined to cash in on three of four extra-man opportunities through 40 minutes.

The Kings halved their deficit 6:36 into the second stanza with another man-advantage marker. Arvidsson and Fiala switched positions in one faceoff circle before Fiala fired a pass across to the other for a snipe from Kempe. Kempe has at least one point in each game of the series and eight overall.

Edmonton took a two-goal lead on its first power-play opportunity of the evening, on which they summarily pushed their conversion rate to 60%. It was McDavid whipping a pass from the left faceoff dot to the right, where Draisaitl one-timed his NHL-topping seventh goal of the playoffs.

The first of Kostin’s goals came 12:12 into the first period when he pushed across the slot, letting fly with a searing wrist shot from between the circles to reclaim the lead.

Though Edmonton and McDavid scored first, the Kings were able to turn his next push up the ice into an odd-man rush that nearly resulted in an Alex Iafallo goal, then stone McDavid’s shot off a two-on-one rush that Vladislav Gavrikov defended in exemplary fashion. Soon after, they were off on another counterattack, this one resulting in an equalizer 8:13 into the game.

A shot block by Quinton Byfield started the rush, which concluded when Fiala located a trailing Durzi for his goal through a Gabe Vilardi screen.

The Kings survived the first offensive from McDavid but couldn’t withstand the second. Evander Kane recovered McDavid’s initial shot, moving the puck for a D-to-D exchange and a shot by Evan Bouchard, which McDavid tipped home. It was goal No. 3 for McDavid in the series, all of which he has scored on the road, and it came 85 seconds into the match.

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Clayton Kershaw flirts with perfection in Dodgers’ win over Cardinals

• April 30, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― The Dodgers turned back the clock by welcoming several alumni Saturday night to commemorate the induction of Manny Mota into the “Legends Of Dodger Baseball.”

Clayton Kershaw then turned back the clock against the St. Louis Cardinals, something he’s turning into a regular occurrence in his 16th major league season.

Kershaw took a perfect game into the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ 1-0 victory over the Cardinals before an announced crowd of 48,763 at Dodger Stadium. Evan Phillips pitched the eighth inning and Brusdar Graterol the ninth to record the save.

Kershaw (5-1), who did not walk a batter and struck out nine, finished the month of April with a 1.89 ERA in six starts. He kept the Cardinals off the bases until Dylan Carlson’s fifth-inning single; a Paul Goldschmidt single to lead off the seventh inning was the only other hit he allowed.

Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes and manager Dave Roberts both praised the consistency of Kershaw’s delivery, which has allowed him to maintain deception and overcome the relatively average velocity of his fastball and slider through the season’s first month.

Kershaw also threw eight curveballs on Saturday, none faster than 76 mph. The Cardinals swung and missed at five of them.

“Tonight was his best night (of 2023) for me,” Roberts said. “Just the way he tunneled tonight was exceptional. That’s as good of a team as you’re going to see versus left(-handed pitching) and the way he dominated those guys tonight was pretty impressive.”

St. Louis entered the weekend with a .321 batting average against left-handed pitchers, easily the highest in MLB.

After breaking up Kershaw’s bid at perfection, Carlson played the foil twice more. He made a stellar catch in center field above his head to deny Mookie Betts a chance at an extra-base hit in the fifth inning, then dove to catch a sinking fly ball to end the eighth inning, stranding two runners on base.

The Dodgers stranded eight runners on base in all, and went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position. Their only run came on an RBI single by Barnes in the second inning.

The inning began when James Outman singled, stole second base, and went to third on a wild pitch. Barnes’ fourth hit of the season, a line-drive single, came on a first-pitch fastball from Jordan Montgomery (2-4).

“Obviously I haven’t been coming through in a little bit,” said Barnes, whose batting average rose to .093. “To come through and give him a lead is really important because he’s so good when we’re ahead.”

One run was enough to support Kershaw, who made his 19th career start of seven innings or more without a run and two or fewer hits against him. Only five pitchers (Nolan Ryan, Walter Johnson, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Justin Verlander) have more.

Roberts had Phillips warm up after Goldschmidt’s single in the seventh inning, in case Kershaw needed help finishing the inning in a high-leverage situation. But Kershaw came back to retire Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Carlson on a total of 10 pitches. He threw just 88 pitches in all, 68 for strikes.

Why not let Kershaw pitch the eighth inning too?

“The stuff started to tick down a little bit,” Roberts said. “The last few starts, we’ve ridden him. There’s a long way to go, and regardless of the outcome it’s the right decision.”

Because Phillips had been warming up, Roberts elected to use the right-hander in the eighth inning. He worked around a fielding error by shortstop Chris Taylor and a walk to Andrew Knizner to retire the side.

Graterol threw only one pitch Friday to retire Goldschmidt, and he retired Goldschmidt again on a mere two pitches to begin the ninth inning. Graterol then got Arenado and Carlson to ground out around a Contreras single to finish the game. He and Phillips each have two saves this season.

Outman went 2 for 3 after making a mechanical adjustment following Friday’s game. Freddie Freeman stole his second and third bases of the season ― the first multi-steal game of his career.

The Dodgers (15-13) will go for their first three-game series sweep of the season Sunday against St. Louis (10-17).

​ Orange County Register 

Manny Mota joins Dodger ‘legends’

• April 30, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― Manny Mota became the sixth member of the “Legends of Dodger Baseball” on Saturday, surrounded by famous names from the team’s past and present in a special on-field ceremony prior to the Dodgers’ game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Mota, 85, said he couldn’t imagine being part of the Dodger organization 41 years after his final major league at-bat.

“I’m surprised I’m still alive,” he said.

His son, Dodger broadcaster José Mota, emceed the ceremony attended by Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrín, Orel Hershiser, Steve Garvey, Peter O’Malley, and Adrián Beltré, among others.

Mota retired as baseball’s career leader in pinch hits, a role he thrived in after being traded to the Dodgers from the Montreal Expos in June 1969. Saturday, Mota recalled the circumstances of the trade.

“Maury (Wills) was the big fish of the trade,” Mota said. “The only way Montreal would have made the deal is if they threw me in the deal. Maury brought me here. I’m still here, and thank you to Maury and Mr. (Al) Campanis and the Dodger organization. I enjoyed every minute here, every second, and every hour. L.A. for me is my home. I’m so happy and thrilled to be here. I’ve been here more than half a century.”

Mota’s coaching career spanned four decades, during which he often worked as a Spanish-language broadcaster for the Dodgers and for Fox Deportes. Mota also worked as a Dodgers alumni ambassador and made many appearances with the Dodgers’ community relations department ― his favorite post-retirement role with the club.

“I could get an opportunity to know how (people) feel, an opportunity to spend some time, share some time I didn’t have when I was a player and a coach,” he said. “Being in the community gave me the opportunity to communicate with people, and let them know how important they are, let them know that they are part of the country, let them know they are human beings.”

Don Newcombe, Steve Garvey, Fernando Valenzuela, Kirk Gibson and Maury Wills were previously enshrined as “Legends,” whose plaques are displayed at the top of the stadium behind home plate. Hershiser, an analyst on the SportsNet LA broadcast team, is scheduled to be inducted as the seventh member of the group on July 29.

HAS ARM, WILL CATCH

Will Smith, who served as the Dodgers’ designated hitter Friday and Saturday, faces a tough task Sunday when he catches his first game since April 12.

No pitcher has allowed more stolen bases this season than Noah Syndergaard’s nine. The next runner caught stealing with Syndergaard on the mound will be the first of 2023.

“Will’s our best thrower, so to be paired with Noah is a good thing,” manager Dave Roberts said. “They’re still going to take some chances (on the bases).”

According to Statcast, Smith ranked 23rd among qualified MLB catchers last season with an average throw to second base of 80 mph. He missed 13 straight games due to a concussion before returning as the Dodgers’ DH on Friday, then caught Julio Urías’ bullpen session Saturday.

The Dodgers signed veteran Austin Wynns in the wake of Smith’s injury, and he figures to be the odd man out if the Dodgers elect not to keep three catchers on their active roster.

ALSO

Miguel Rojas hit a home run for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in his first rehabilitation game. He also played five innings at shortstop. Sunday, he is expected to play for Rancho Cucamonga again before returning to the Dodgers on Monday. … Roberts said he is not comfortable “running Miguel out there every day” upon his return because of the injuries to his hamstring and groin early this season. For now, Chris Taylor figures to be the Dodgers’ primary shortstop once Rojas returns. … J.D. Martinez (back) tried swinging a bat Friday before he was placed on the 10-day injured list. Now, Roberts said, Martinez is “laying low. We’ll take the time to put (the injury) to bed. I don’t know when he’ll swing a bat again.” … With Smith returning to catcher, Roberts mentioned Jason Heyward and David Peralta as possibilities to DH against left-handed pitchers.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Noah Syndergaard, 0-3, 6.58 ERA) vs. St. Louis (RHP Jake Woodford, 1-2, 5.47 ERA), Sunday, 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM

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