Carpinteria High baseball picked up a 5-1 victory in a must-win matchup with Malibu on Tuesday.
With the win, the Warriors (7-7, 5-6 CCL) moved into a tie for third place in the Citrus Coast League with one game remaining on the schedule.
Carpinteria will clinch a CIF-SS playoff berth with a win over Malibu on Thursday or a loss by Fillmore.
“It was a big game for our group, it was great to see the players rise to the occasion,” Carpinteria coach Pat Cooney said. “It validates our season a bit as we inched closer to qualifying for a playoff berth.
The win was powered by a four-run first inning from the Warriors thanks to key hits by Isaac Flores, Talon Trumble and Joaquin Ramirez.
“Getting four runs in the first was the best possible start to the day,” Cooney said. “It was also gratifying to get contributions from players between the lines and on the bench.”
Malibu scored their lone run in the third inning but Carpinteria answered quickly on an RBI sacrifice fly from Oscar Velazquez to score Judah Torres.
Shane Goodmanson turned in a gem on the mound, allowing four hits and striking out five batters in a complete-game effort.
“Goodmanson and Velazquez make a good battery,” Cooney said. “They trust each other and the rest of the team rallies behind them.”
Flores led the offensive effort with a pair of hits, two stolen bases and two runs scored.
The Warriors will look to punch their ticket to the playoffs against the Sharks on Thursday.
Buena 6, Dos Pueblos 3
The Chargers dropped a Channel League matchup against the Bulldogs on the road on Tuesday.
Lukas Ginder tossed a strong five innings for Dos Pueblos, allowing two runs and striking out four batters.
At the plate, Taylor Young roped an RBI triple while Xander Hajda drove in a run on a single. Sasha Holmes scored a run while Charlie Potter knocked a double.
The Chargers are now 13-12-1 overall and 5-7-1 in league play with one game remaining.