Sharks Record-Setting Baseball Season Comes to an End

By Ari Jacobs

The Malibu Sharks baseball team drew the red-hot Calvary Chapel (Downey) Grizzlies in round two of the CIF Playoffs, coming up just short in the 10-6 loss. 

The game at Veteran’s Field in Commerce started out well for the Sharks. Junior  Chase Lambert drew a leadoff walk, freshman Dylan Ross sacrificed Lambert into scoring position and the Sharks scored the game’s first run on sophomore Bronson Bard’s sac fly to deep center.

The scrappy Calvary Chapel squad quickly tied the game 1-1. The back-and-forth continued as the Sharks took a 2-1 lead, before Calvary scored 2 runs and grabbed a 3-2 lead.  

Junior ace Noah Simon settled down and held the Grizzlies at 3 runs for the next two innings.

Freshman Dylan Ross hit a clutch two out single to left scoring junior catcher Chris Falk to tie the game, after Falk singled to lead off the fourth inning.

The game was tied at 3-3 until the top of the sixth inning when Chris Falk delivered again by hitting a lead off 400-foot triple to center. Falk later scored when Senior Alvaro 'Alvie' Alvarado doubled over the right fielder’s head. 

The Sharks took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning and were six outs away from the second round win when the wheels unfortunately fell off.  

Simon, who went an impressive 10-2 on the year, ran out of gas in the sixth surrendering a leadoff walk and then a double before giving way to sophomore lefty Andre Simoneau.

Simoneau was forced to take on an unfamiliar role as closer in the playoffs after regular closer Chase Lambert went down with an arm injury towards the end of the season.

While not getting hit hard, Simoneau struggled to find the strike zone and junior Miles Tade was able to finally end the sixth inning rally for Calvary Chapel, but not before the Grizzlies scored 7 runs, taking a 10-4 lead going into the last inning. 

The never say die group of Sharks mounted a last inning rally of their own.

Malibu freshman Ezra Allen hit a RBI single to right field after the Sharks loaded the bases, then Alvarado drew a two out walk as the Sharks made the score 10-6.

Lambert stepped up to the plate representing the tying run. Lambert hit a ball to the deepest part of the park and narrowly missed a game tying grand-slam in dramatic fashion.

The 2013 Sharks fought hard to the very last pitch and as their head coach, I could not be more proud of them!

The team smashed the record for most wins in school history, won the championship of both tournaments they played in and won a CIF playoff home game before coming up just short in the second round of the playoffs. 

Malibu ends its season with an overall record of 24-5, going 13-2 in league play and winning the league title.

While the Sharks will miss the leadership and more than solid play of seniors Alvie Alvarado, Frank Thomas and Riley McMillin, most of the squad is returning and the Malibu Sharks baseball program is poised to continue improving each year while establishing itself as one of the top baseball programs around.

The exciting brand of highly successful team baseball will be the norm and 2013 Sharks baseball team should be incredibly proud of their efforts and achievements this year! Well done!