Edison falls to Palm Desert in quarterfinals

Going into its CIF Southern Section Division 2 quarterfinal game on a seven-game winning streak, Edison High’s baseball team had held teams to two runs or fewer.

No team, not even Moorpark, which was the No.2 seed, ranked No.2 in the state and No.13 in the nation by MaxPreps couldn’t find an answer for the Chargers.

That changed on Friday, as Palm Desert, which trailed 2-0 in the top of the sixth inning, was able to get a three-run home run from UCLA-bound senior Jeremiah Estrada. Not only that, Estrada also pitched a complete game for the Aztecs, allowing only four hits, as they beat Edson 3-2 on Friday at Edison High School, ending the Chargers’ season.

The Aztecs (22-7) will face Capistrano Valley at home in the semifinals. The Cougars were victorious in the quarterfinals as well, as they beat Manhattan Beach Mira Costa 1-0.

The Chargers, the second-place team from the Sunset League, end their season at 20-13, but not without giving the Aztecs a battle.

The Chargers scored first off of a Spencer Serven two-run double. From there it was a defensive battle between both teams.

For the most part, the Chargers kept the Aztecs off the scoreboard, notably in the top of the third inning where pitcher Riley Haddon worked his way out of a jam when a Palm Desert runner reached third base.

“That kid pitched a great game against us,” Darol Salozar said about Haddon.

Another noteworthy defensive play for Edison came in the top of the fourth inning, when Serven caught a ball that was heading toward the wall. The catch prevented the Aztecs from getting extra bases and getting on the board.

“Defensively, that was an outstanding play,” Edison coach Cameron Chinn said. “That showed his athleticism. Spencer’s a dynamic athlete on the field. He can change games.”

The top of the sixth inning saw Palm Desert’s Josh Hernandez single and Jonathan Cuevas get hit by a pitch allowing both of them to take first and second base, setting up Estrada to blast the three-run home run to eventually give the Aztecs the game.

“No matter if we’re down by 10 [runs], we’re still going to be battling even if it’s bottom of the seventh with two outs,” Estrada said.

After the game, the Edison players hugged and embraced one another, as they have a lot to be proud of this year. The Chargers started Sunset League play 0-5 and finished second behind Huntington Beach.

“They’re class and character guys,” Chinn said of his players. “We can compete with anyone around. We lost to Huntington Beach twice by one run this year. To get through the Sunset League after the start we had and finish second place is a testament to how skilled of baseball players we have.”

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CIF Southern Section Division 2 Playoffs

Quarterfinals

Palm Desert 3. Edison 2

SCORE BY INNINGS

Palm Desert 0000030 – 3 9 0

Edison 2000000 – 2 4 1

W – Estrada. L - Haddon. 2B — Serven (E). HR – Estrada (PD)