Senik Opens It Up as El Toro Wins, 6-2

Travis Senik put El Toro ahead with a home run, and later started a two-run inning with a bunt single as the Chargers beat third-seeded Laguna Hills, 6-2, in a Southern Section Division III baseball game Tuesday.

Senik, a senior first baseman, broke up a tight game with a three-run homer to center in the fifth inning, putting El Toro ahead, 4-2.

The homer, his third, came off Tony Milo, the Laguna Hills ace who has signed to attend Arizona.

Milo (11-3) struggled with his control the entire game, walking eight. He walked the first two batters in the fifth, then Senik came up after a ground out.

“He just threw me a fastball and I got all of it,” Senik said. “My hit just kind of loosened everybody up.”

Laguna Hills had a chance for a big inning in the sixth when Tom Banning was hit by a pitch, Ryan Johnson walked and Jared Novak had a bunt single to load the bases.

But El Toro starter Joe Smith (7-3) got the first out on a shallow fly to right. He struck out Wes Biermann and got Kevin McCaffrey, son of El Toro Coach Tom McCaffrey, to line to right to end the threat.

Smith worked a perfect seventh to close out the game after El Toro scored twice in the top of the inning. Senik started with a bunt single and Joe Smith had a single one out later.

Senik scored on two throwing errors and Matt Steinau had an RBI groundout to drive in the second run.

El Toro (20-7-1) moves on to Friday’s quarterfinal-round game against Alto Loma.

McCaffrey had two hits and scored a run in the first on a single by Nick Harvey for Laguna Hills.

The Hawks other run came in the fourth when Ryan O’Donnell singled and later scored on a groundout by Jeff Gahagan.

Laguna Hills, the Pacific Coast League champion, ended its season 20-6.

In other Division III games:

Irvine 8, University 2--Shaun Wooley was three for three with a run scored and three stolen bases in a victory for Irvine (17-9-1). Teammates Jared Flint and Mike Walas each had two hits and an RBI for the Vaqueros.

Irvine will play Covina Charter Oak in a quarterfinal game.

La Quinta 6, Walnut 3--Sean Larkin was three for three with two RBIs for La Quinta (23-6) in a second-round game. The Aztecs play La Mirada in the quarterfinals.