Jayden Parker took it personally.
With two out, a runner on second base, the Mt. Carmel High School baseball staff elected to walk University City leadoff man AJ Curry intentionally to get to Parker.
And the junior shortstop delivered, doubling in what would be the deciding two runs as University City edged Mt. Carmel 3-1 Saturday, handing the Centurions the CIF Southern California Division 3 Regional championship before a standing-room-only crowd of nearly 1,000 at Mt. Carmel on a chilly, misty Saturday morning.
Second-seeded Mt. Carmel (23-13) was the San Diego Section Division 3 champion, beating San Ysidro at San Diego State. Fifth-seeded University City (23-12) was the San Diego Section Division 4 champion, beating Calexico at USD.
“I looked at it as a great opportunity,” Parker said. “I just needed to do my job. I had to move those runners. Fortunately, I was able to hit a ball to the fence. … Gold is so much better than silver.”
Thanks to Curry’s bat and strong left arm, University City (23-12) led 1-0 when Parker delivered.
Curry drove in the first run with an RBI single in the second. And he pitched the first four innings, allowing one run on three hits while walking one and striking out nine. The first six Mt. Carmel hitters struck out.
Curry, a junior, finishes the season 8-4 with a 1.14 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings.
“I was trying to throw my fastball (which sat at 88-91 mph) for strikes, get ahead of the count and let my defense work,” said Curry, who is committed to the University of Tennessee. “To get this done, to watch my center fielder (Trevor Lee) make a great catch (on Bryce Miller’s third-inning drive to the fence), is amazing.”
Thiago Quillin, a sophomore right-hander, worked the final three innings for University City, striking out two, walking one and allowing a two-out single in the seventh to Miller.
“It was my job to finish what AJ started,” Quillin said. “That’s a really good team we pIayed, so I had to get ahead of the hitters and trust my defense.”
Of the nine outs Quillin recorded, four were on infield grounders, two were strikeouts and three were harmless flyouts to right fielder Josh Kaplan.
Quillin finishes the season with a 5-5 record, two saves and an 0.95 ERA. He had 66 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings.
“I have a lot of respect for Mt. Carmel,” Curry said. “They really battled. Their No. 7 hitter (Carson Weber) got me for two hits. That says something about their lineup when the No. 7 hitter has two knocks.”
Weber, who also had two stolen bases, drove in Ethan Coyle, who had walked and advanced on a wild pitch.
“It was a good, clean, well-played game, a game worthy of a championship,” said Mt. Carmel coach Keith Johnson.
“Curry and Quillin were equally good. Our pitchers (Shane Carter, Jack Grassa and Isaac Castro) gave us a chance to win. There are times you tip your hat to your opponent for a game well played. This was one of those times.”
