Chargers are bound to Fresno for State Championships
Leichman was the unsung hero to shutout the Mounties in grand fashion.
Mission Viejo, CA - The Chargers were riding high on momentum after defeating the Mounties of Mt SAC 7-3 in the first game and force the deciding game. The problem for the Chargers was that they had used up all of their starting pitchers, so Coach Scott Pickler reached deep into his pocket to find Sophomore RHP Alon Leichman. The Sophomore hurler only started once this season and threw in 31 innings and had an ERA of 1.42. Leichman only showed poise for nine innings, allowing six hits, walked four and struck out four in a 6-0 shutout of the Mounties and clinched the Super Regionals Championships for the Chargers.
The offense got going in the bottom of the fourth when Sam Tolleson scored from second on a single by Tyler Schultz. In the bottom of the 6th, the Chargers scored three runs by Robert Chavarria, Blake Davey and Schultz to extend the lead to 4-0, which was enough to win. The Chargers however added two final runs in the bottom of the 8th to seal the deal.
The Chargers won an improbable four games in less than 30 hours to clinch the Supers. They lost to the Mounties 4-3 in ten innings on Friday and had to go through the long winding road. Almost eliminated in the loser bracket against Canyons, the Chargers were down 4-2 and scored three runs in the bottom of the 9th to stay alive. In the second elimination game, the Chargers eliminated Saddleback by a score of 6-4. The Gauchos had beaten the Chargers three times during the season.
The Chargers are heading to the State tourney in Fresno next weekend. This is the first time going to State for the Chargers since 2007. The last State title that the Chargers claimed was a decade ago in 2003.
