Viewpoint's Baseball Season Ends With Playoff Loss

The dream is over for Viewpoint High’s baseball team.

The Patriots, hoping to win a Southern Section Div. 6 title after enjoying championship success in Div. 7 a few years back, were eliminated Friday in the section quarterfinals with a 16–6 loss to Desert Christian at Rawley Duntley Park in Lancaster.

A good season, a bad ending. Viewpoint won the Liberty League championship, then a couple of playoff games, but that was it.

“Desert Christian was a very good team with some great hitters,” junior Tyler Sprague said. “However, I don’t think we played our best. We started out well, but we didn’t keep up the intensity the entire game. Our goal was to win a championship, but I still think we had a great season.”

Sprague, Viewpoint’s ace pitcher, hurt arm and never made an appearance over the last 18 days of the season–the Patriots used others in the playoffs–and without the 6-foot-3 left-hander, the Patriots did not have enough stopping power.

Desert Christian scored at least once in every inning, and Alex Pachino took the loss.

There is hope for the future because Viewpoint returns a lot of top players, including Sprague, who finished 5–2 with a 1.31 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 42 innings while batting .372 with one home run and 19 RBIs.

“We’re losing a strong senior class, but I think we are still returning a solid group and a very strong, rising sophomore class that will benefit us offensively and defensively,” Sprague said. “I think we’ll be a good team next year, and I think we have a shot at making a run for a championship.”

Sprague, Adam Markun and Alex Twersky are among the key underclassmen, and they should form a good nucleus next season. Markun, a sophomore shortstop, batted .452 with two home runs, 21 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Twersky, a junior third baseman/catcher, batted .431 with 16 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

The other juniors are Mason Alford and J.J. Sprague, the sophomores are  Adam Katzer , Andrew Roscigno and Evan Zimmet. The freshman are Thomas Sprague, Justin Levy, Matt Miller, Mitchell Kerner, Harrison Klein, Jack Leonard and Adam Schare.

The graduating seniors are Pachino, Andrew Leon, Ryan Nelson and Tyler Zimmet.

Overall, longtime coach Frank Pontello was pleased.

“We ran into a very strong hitting team against Desert Christian, and we gave it our best,” Pontello said. “That doesn’t take away our fantastic 21-6 season.”