Channel Islands Secures Playoff Berth With Win

Needing a win Friday to clinch a Southern Section 5-A Division baseball playoff berth, Channel Islands High came out swinging and knocked out Royal, 10-1, in a Marmonte League regular-season finale at Channel Islands.

Catcher Jose Gastelum provided much of the punch, going three for four with a double and four runs batted in, and Angel Aragon scattered seven hits and pitched a complete game for the Raiders (15-5, 10-4 in league play).

With a victory, Royal (17-6, 8-6) could have tied Channel Islands for third place and forced the Marmonte League to go to tiebreaking procedures to settle the playoff picture, but the Raiders made sure the Highlanders never got off the ground.

Aragon (9-1) survived a bases-loaded jam in the first and Gastelum gave him the lead in the bottom of the inning with a looping single to center that scored George Macias who had doubled.

Channel Islands grilled Royal pitcher Jason Ignacio (7-2) for six hits and four runs in the first two innings, and Gastelum again providing the clutch hit in the second.

A double by Ricky Estrada, a walk to James Robinson and a double by Jacob Cruz accounted for the second Raider run, and with two out Gastelum ripped a two-run single to left. The only time Ignacio retired Gastelum came on a line out to center with two on and two out in the fourth.

“I was just looking for base hits,” Gastelum said. “I like coming up when I’m under pressure. I can do better in those situations.”

Aragon settled in after the first to throttle Royal with his command of a good fastball, a sharp curve and a smart changeup. Only David Landaker’s home run to lead off the fifth inning prevented a shutout. Landaker was three for four.

The Raiders scored once in the fifth on singles by Al Zavala and Jeff Palmer, a walk to Ray Rangel and a sacrifice fly by Estrada, then broke the game wide open in the sixth by batting around and scoring five more runs.

Gastelum capped off his outstanding game with a double up the left-field alley to score Cruz.

Cruz, the Raiders’ leadoff hitter, went three for four with two doubles and an RBI.