SOUTHERN SECTION 5-A PLAYOFFS : Weems Stays True to Form for Esperanza

It has been a rough season for Esperanza High School pitcher Roger Weems, who has been inconsistent after he went 8-0 as a sophomore.

Weems, a junior left-hander, finished the regular season with a 6-4 record, but he has looked sharp in the Southern Section 5-A baseball playoffs.

Tuesday, he scattered 10 hits and gave up only one run in a 4-1 victory over Bishop Amat in a second-round game at La Puente. Last Friday, Weems pitched two scoreless innings in relief in an 8-6 victory over North Torrance. In Esperanza’s wild-card game against Westminster, Weems allowed one hit over five innings in a 4-1 victory.

Esperanza, the No. 3 team from the Empire League and 4-A runner-up last season, will play Simi Valley on Friday at a site to be determined today. The game will be a rematch of the 1986 4-A semifinal in which Esperanza upset Simi Valley, ranked No. 1 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball Magazine, 6-5.

Bishop Amat, third in the Angelus League, ended its season at 16-9.

“We are on a roll right now,” Esperanza Coach Mike Curran said. “We needed a good effort and got one from Roger today.”

The Aztecs (19-8) scored two runs in the first inning and two more in the third to take a 4-0 lead. Jason Moler had 2 hits and 2 runs batted in. In the first, he singled home Jim Short after Doug Saunders had stolen home for a 2-0 lead. Saunders had reached first on a single, advanced to second on a fly ball and moved to third when Short reached first on an error.

Moler drove home Short again with a single in the third inning after Saunders had scored on Short’s single.

J.R. Phillips (9-3) pitched two innings for the Lancers but was removed in the third inning because of a sore left elbow and groin pull. The Aztecs tagged Phillips, a left-hander, for two runs in the first and reliever Ken Kendrena for the two runs in the third. Phillips had three hits for Bishop Amat.

Weems (9-4) gave up one run in the fourth. He was taken out with two outs in the seventh inning. Saunders came on and struck out Steve Clark to end the game.

“I felt good today out there,” Weems said. “I know if I throw strikes, we will be in the ballgame somehow.”