Prep Boys Baseball: Ramirez pitches Trojans to win

HELENDALE — By the time the Academy of Careers and Exploration baseball team adjusted to Silver Valley right-hander Jon Ramirez, the Eagles were already down 3-0 in the bottom of the third. That proved to be too late as the Trojans downed the Eagles 9-3 in a nonleague game Thursday.

ACE (0-2) coach Griff Jumonville was pleased with the Eagles’ adjustments, but not with how long it took his team to make them.

“We came back halfway through the game and rallied and made it close,” said Jumonville. “If we had started from the beginning, we would’ve won this game. You can’t start in the third or fourth inning and expect to win.”

Ramirez didn’t make things easy for the Eagles as he came out blazing fastballs by the ACE hitters. He didn’t allow a hit until the third inning and struck out five of the first seven batters he faced.

“I think some kids were really intimidated the first time through the lineup, but by the second time they started jumping on the first pitch and putting the ball in play,” said Jumonville.

The Silver Valley (4-0) starter, only a sophomore, pitched all seven innings and allowed just two earned runs while striking out 12 on 83 pitches. Ramirez didn’t issue a walk, and no ACE batter was able to work the pitcher any deeper than a two-ball count.

“He was in control from the first pitch,” said Silver Valley coach Mike Meyers. “At the start of the game, I wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to go three or four innings and he ended up going all seven.”

Ramirez is one of five freshmen or sophomores on the Trojans, which contrasts with the 10 playing for ACE this season. That inexperience carried over into the field, Jumonville said. The Eagles committed five errors, which made life difficult for ACE starter Jacob Jarosh. The senior pitched all seven innings and was tagged for five earned runs on 14 hits.

Four Trojans finished with multiple hits as Lorenzo Mesa went 3 for 5, Ben Flores went 2 for 4 with a triple, and Ramirez and Tristan Chavez had a pair of singles each.

Jarosh was the only Eagle with multiple hits, a pair of singles. Anthony Wiggins had the lone extra-base hit for ACE as the freshman smacked a double in the Eagles’ three-run fifth inning.

The Trojans open Desert Mountain League play on Tuesday against Desert, while ACE still has a pair of nonleague games before they open Cross Valley League play against Riverside Prep on March 20.

SV 102 121 2 — 9 14 4

ACE 000 030 0 — 3 6 5

WP — Ramirez; LP — Jarosh. 2B — Wiggins (A). 3B — Flores (S).

Jacob Sundstrom can be reached at 760-951-6274 and jsundstrom@vvdailypress.com. You can follow him on Twitter @DPSundstrom.