MHS Baseball Wins Southern California Invitational

Down to their last strike, the varsity baseball team found a way to start a rally that led to a 5-4 victory in extra innings over Grace Brethren on Saturday in the championship game of the Southern California Invitational Tournament.

The Sharks (5-0) were down 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning before beginning the comeback at Royal High School in Simi Valley.  

Sophomore Noah Simon got the start on the mound and was flawless through three innings, but was touched up for three runs in the fourth, making the score 3-1 going into the fifth. Senior Matt Gruskin took over and held the Lancers to one run through three innings.

The Sharks has multiple runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but could not punch in a clutch run-scoring hit to change the score until the seventh.

Senior Jordan Simon, who went three for four on the day, started the seventh-inning rally by getting on base and later scoring. After a couple defensive miscues by Grace Brethren, the Sharks needed a hit and junior Frank Thomas delivered with an RBI double to right center. Key two-out at-bats from junior Alvaro Alvarado, sophomore Nick Anthony and his brother senior Evan Anthony tied the game and sent it into extra innings.

Sophomore Chase Lambert pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, including a strikeout that gave the Sharks a chance to win it, and it did not take long.

Simon led off the bottom of the eighth with a deep triple that went over the center fielder's head for his third hit and fourth time on base in the game. Senior Hunter Johnson hit a deep single to right to secure the championship for the Sharks, which have started out 5-0 for the first time in school history.

The junior varsity Sharks are 3-0, making the Malibu baseball program a clean 8-0 to start off the 2012 campaign.

The Sharks have three games left until Tri-Valley League play begins. Their next game is a home double header next Saturday against Channel Islands. The first game will start at 10 a.m. Conference play will start March 21 against Oaks Christian, and we hope to see you at the field to be a part of the great baseball being played in Malibu that others in the Southland are beginning to take notice of.

Ari Jacobs is the head coach of Malibu High's varsity baseball team.