The downcast meeting in the outfield. The long, somber faces on the players and coaches. The stinging criticism doled out by both the head coach and the star player.

The St. Bonaventure High baseball team's CIF-Southern Section Division IV playoff opener Friday afternoon ended with all the signs of a first-round elimination.

Except on the scoreboard, where the Seraphs had eased to victory, 6-0, over visiting Magnolia behind pitcher Casey Serna's one-hit shutout.

"No. 8 (Serna) kept us in the game," said coach Raul Camacho. "We were lucky that he was on his game, so we could survive.

"That's what this was, survival."

Despite being shut out for the final four innings and making five errors in the field, St. Bonaventure (25-4), the No. 3 seed that has won 17 of its last 18 games, will St. Joseph of Santa Maria in Tuesday's second round.

"I have to be careful with my words," said Camacho. "We've played well all season. We didn't play well today. We got out to that early lead and I felt like we just shut it down."

St. Bonaventure built an early 6-0 lead by scoring one run in the first, three in the second and two in the third.

Sophomore Michael Abeloe doubled with one out in the bottom of the first inning and scored on senior Jeremy Dann's single.

The Seraphs put their first three batters on base in the home half of the second as Randy Balades and David Trejo walked between Michael Marietta's double. A fielder's choice, error and two hit batsmen plated three runs.

Balades and Marietta led off the bottom of the third with singles and scored on an outfield misplay and Abeloe's one-out single.

But that would be all the offense the Seraphs would generate. Magnolia reliever Angel Miranda struck out six of seven St. Bonaventure hitters during a span in the middle innings.

"I don't think we played like a team today," said Serna. "Just a lot of individuals. That's what it came down to. I think we expected them to come out and roll over."

Serna took care of that on the mound, improving to 9-1 with his first complete game of the season while striking out seven and walking one.

Miguel Velaquez led off the top of the fifth with an infield single for the only hit against Serna.

"I think we got lucky here today," said Serna. "One individual can not win a baseball game."