JSerra wins first baseball title in school history 3-1 over Notre Dame

FULLERTON, Calif. -- Watching Harvard-Westlake head coach Jared Halpert parade the 2021 Division 1 Southern Section baseball championship plaque around Goodwin Field at Cal State Fullerton stung for JSerra head coach Brett Kay. 

"That hurt me," Kay admitted.

JSerra fell in the 2021 title game 2-0, but just one year later, a new look Lions team came roaring back beating Notre Dame 3-1 to win the school's first ever Southern Section crown on Friday night. 

"I can get that [darn] monkey off my back," Kay said with a smile.

DOMINIC SMALDINO COMES UP CLUTCH

In the bottom of the sixth inning with the game tied 1-1, Smaldino came up to bat with runners on first and third following an Owen Fuller triple and Jonathan Mendez walk. Smaldino slashed a single through the right side of the Notre Dame infield off of Knights starter Cole Clark scoring Fuller for the would be game-winning run. One batter later, David Horn hit a sacrifice-fly which plated Mendez and put JSerra ahead 3-1.

Just minutes before the rally in the top of the sixth inning, JSerra pitcher Tyler Gough managed to get out of a jam (more on that later) by striking out Notre Dame's Anthony Reveles. But on the third strike, the ball dribbled away from catcher Brandon Chang and Reveles dashed to first. Chang chased after it, collected the ball and then threw low to first base forcing Smaldino into an expertly timed scoop, which ended the inning.

It may have seemed routine to some, but Smaldino saved a run by making the catch at first and kept the momentum with the Lions going into the bottom of the sixth. It was a big play. 

"That's just something I always work on and I talked about it with my coaches, getting big at first base," Smaldino said "I didn't feel any pressure with that one." 

KAY EXPERTLY USES HIS PITCHERS

After an RBI triple from Andrew Lamb scored Chang giving JSerra a 1-0 lead in the third inning, Notre Dame put together a rally of their own in the fifth. JSerra starter JJ Hollis gave up a two out double to Reveles and then hit Max Aude with a pitch. Levi Sterling came up next for the Knights and quickly got ahead in the count 2-0. The second ball was Hollis' last pitch as Kay made a call to the bullpen to bring in Gough at that point.  

"JJ was pissed at me and he had every right to be pissed," Kay said. "He's earned that spot but we just felt like some velocity from Gough was going to weather that storm and it did."

Gough walked Sterling but then struck out Dean West to end the inning. 

In the top of the sixth, Kay stuck with Gough after he walked the first two batters he faced in the frame. With two on and no one out, Adam Shlesinger came to the plate and bunted. Chang misfired on his throw to first leading to a Knights' run and runners on first and third with no outs. 

Following the error, Gough struck out Christian Miranda. Ryan Limerick, Notre Dame's next batter, then grounded a ball to Mendez at shortstop and he threw home nabbing Jack Gurevitch on a play at the plate. 

"Mendez made a huge play," Kay said. 

From there, Gough struck out Reveles and Smaldino made the catch at first to end the inning. In the seventh inning, Gough struck out the side to win the game. 

"Gough's a horse and he's a horse for a reason," Kay said.