Crusaders find title game one of inches -- finish second to Patriots

By Phillip Brents

SAN DIEGO, June 7, 2003 -- They do not call baseball a "game of inches" without good reason. Marian Catholic coach Ed Johnson and his entire Crusader team can attest to that fact during the sixth inning of last Saturday's San Diego Section Division IV championship game at SDSU's Tony Gwynn Stadium.

So can Christian High junior center fielder Tim Martin.

At right: 2003 San Diego Section Division IV champion Christian Patriots.

It was Martin's running catch at the knees on a screaming line drive hit by Crusader junior Memo Siqueiros with the basepaths jammed with Marian Catholic runners that turned the tide in the Patriots' eventual upset 2-1 victory in eight innings.

The top-seeded Crusaders (26-8) threatened to finally break a scoreless duel between the teams -- matching up for the third time in Marian Catholic's eight-year consecutive run to the championship game -- on Siqueiros' rocket shot. However, Martin's catch denied the defending champions a golden opportunity to seize their sixth title in that eight-year span and kept the door open for Christian senior hurler Brian Schroeder, who added to his career section strikeout record (373) and set a new section record with his 34th career win.

"One game doesn't make a season," Marian Catholic's Johnson said in reflection. "We had 26 wins. We were two inches from No. 27."       

The outcome would nevertheless go down to the final out.

Eddie Listander got the game-winning rally going for the Patriots (20-11) on a single. He was bunted to second base on a sacrifice by teammate Joel Allen and later scored on a looper over second base delivered by Brandon Abell. Sean Ryan then singled for a 2-0 Christian lead.

Schroeder persevered through adversity in the bottom of the frame to pick up his 11th victory against three setbacks and, in the process, join the dog pile behind the pitcher's mound in victory. 

He finished the game with five strikeouts while scattering four hits. He managed to hold the heavy-hitting Crusaders to just two hits entering the game's final frame.

Carlos Ibarra opened the inning by promptly stroking a double down the left field line and moved to third base on an ensuing single by teammate Kadym Ayon. Schroeder threatened to undo the Patriots' lead and load the bases with none out after falling behind Fernando Castillo 3-1 in the count. Castillo appeared to deliver a decisive hit on the next pitch but Schroeder nabbed the line drive hit up the middle for the first out of the inning before either Marian Catholic runner could react to the crack of the bat.

Rey Lopez halved the Crusaders' deficit on the scoreboard on a sacrifice fly ball to right field -- leaving Marian Catholic's fate once again up to Siqueiros, who then ended the game on an infield grounder.

Johnson had to help lead a teary-eyed Siqueiros off the field after the game.

"It was a game of catches and pitchers," Johnson said. "(Schroeder) pitched a very good game. We were about to breaking it open. It doesn't taint a season. It came down to a one-game tournament. It was a great atmosphere. It turned out to be a game of inches. We've still got a young team. A lot of these guys will be back next year. We're not going to hang our heads."

At right: Crusaders' Memo Siqueiros, left, and Rey Lopez react to championship game loss.

The Patriots will gladly admit to heaving a collective sigh of relief.

"They've been here eight years in a row. The run to the championship still goes through Marian," Christian assistant coach Jay Schroeder said.

"It's deflating. We always worried about their best guys. We held them pretty good but it came from the bottom of their order," Johnson said in recapping the Patriots' game-winning rally.

Marian Catholic appeared to be peaking at just the right time after rebounding from a slow start to tie Hilltop for this year's South Bay League title before entering the playoffs and then advancing to the title game with a 3-0 postseason mark.

"The last two-three weeks has been awesome with all those come-back wins," Johnson said. "To get here is so special. We wanted to win it but we've been here eight years in a row -- and nine out of 10 years. The championship is touched in some way by Marian." 

Notepad

The Crusaders' Siqueiros, who dropped to 6-3 on the season, scattered 11 hits while striking out five batters. Ibarra (.418, 10 HR, 23 RBI), Castillo (.412, 6 HR, 30 RBI) and Xchelt Palofox (.371, 10 HR, 33 RBI) led Marian Catholic's offense this season. Castillo was named winner of the team's CIF Sportsmanship award.

For Christian, the 6-3, 210-pound Schroeder entered the championship game with a 1.37 ERA,135 strikeouts and a .485 hitting average with 12 home runs and 28 RBI. Daniel Magness, who hit .488 during the season with five home runs, 30 runs scored and 38 RBI, received the team's CIF Sportsmanship award.