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El Rio needs two wins for title
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The El Rio Senior League Baseball All-Stars turned to Gabe Herrera's arm and bat to propel the 15-16-year-old Little League team to a 12-2 elimination-game win over South El Monte on Thursday night in the Southern California State championship tournament at San Juan Capistrano.
Herrera pitched a three-hitter and recorded three strikeouts, and shortstop Eric Lopez turned two double plays to lift El Rio into today's 4 p.m. championship game against San Carlo of San Diego.
El Rio must beat San Carlo twice to advance to the West Regional tournament at Salem, Ore. Today's winner will open play Sunday at 7 p.m.
San Carlo routed El Rio 10-0 in the second game and San Carlo has won four straight games, while El Rio (9-2) has won three straight and has a 4-1 record in the tournament.
Herrera had three hits, including a three-run homer, to cap an eight-run second inning. Herrera drove in five runs.
South El Monte scored a run in the top of the first and the opposition's second run was unearned.
El Rio's Randy Cervantez had two doubles, an RBI and scored twice.
Manager Frank Tinoco said his El Rio players are excited.
"They don't want to go home," he said.
El Rio was a Senior League World Series runner-up in 2004 in Bangor, Maine.
South El Monte was coming off a 3-2, 12-inning loss on Wednesday to San Carlo.
Tinoco said his team played a sloppy game, committing six errors against San Carlo.
"We underestimated them because from Nos. 1-9 in the lineup, they sprayed the ball over the field," he said. "We have to play with more intensity and I think the kids will be focused."
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