Baseball: Mater Dei advances to Division 1 semifinals

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Santa Ana Mater Dei proved Friday that it can win a playoff game without Cory Hahn on the mound. Sophomore Ty Moore threw six shutout innings, and the Monarchs’ batters did the rest in an 11-2 victory over Lakewood to earn a spot against Simi Valley Royal in Tuesday’s Division 1 semifinals at Blair Field.

A.J. Roth hit a two-run home run and finished with three hits to lead the Monarchs (18-10). Moore had a two-run double. Austin Monte had a two-run double. Jacob Medina had a two-run double. Ryan Teel had a two-run single.

Mater Dei scored six runs in the fifth inning. Now they’ll be able to use Hahn (12-1) on the mound for the semifinal. Hahn had pitched the Monarchs to two earlier playoff victories. Mater Dei has lost in the semifinal the last three years to Anaheim Canyon, Simi Valley and Huntington Beach Edison.

-- Eric Sondheimer