Marviel Underwood and Luis Lara combined to pitch 10 shutout innings on Tuesday.
They came back with the performance of the season Saturday night.
Point Loma High School’s dynamic duo allowed just one unearned run as the No. 3-seeded Pointers upset No. 1-seeded Rancho Bernardo 3-1 to win the CIF San Diego Section Division 1 baseball championship before a full house at USD’s Fowler Park.
Both teams advance to the Southern California Regionals with pairings to be announced Sunday afternoon.
Underwood, who started Tuesday against Cathedral in a 1-0 win, started against Rancho Bernardo (18-13) and allowed just one unearned run in five innings. He hit the leadoff hitter to start the sixth and Pointers coach Rigo Ledezma summoned Lara from the bullpen.
“I found out Friday that I was starting,” Underwood said. “The coaches came to me and said the game was in my hands. No problem. No pressure with the defense I have behind me. Big games come down to the smallest things, and we made plays. The adrenaline was flowing. The atmosphere here was amazing.”
Lara, who worked six shutout innings Tuesday, worked out of a jam in the sixth and set Rancho Bernardo down in order in the seventh on a strikeout and a pair of infield grounders.
“Just being able to back up my guy, Marv, so just being able to throw strikes, was definitely one of the main things I’ve been focusing on,” Lara said.
“I knew Marv had, like, a little shoulder thing happen, but I know he has been pushing hard. I know he has been working hard every single day, even at practice, always running and putting his heart out, so I know he really deserved this win.”
Drew Frust was the hitting star for Point Loma (20-12-1).
He was hit by a pitch and scored in the first inning. He singled and drove in a run in Point Loma’s two-run fifth inning.
Dylan Upjohn started that inning with a single. Wyatt Smith singled and Frust singled home Upjohn.
Later with the bases loaded, Wyatt Smith walked to drive in the second run.
Point Loma was without three top players much of the season – pitcher Matthew Garrison, infielder Hunter Keeling and catcher Cole Williams.
“The way our guys responded to adversity was amazing,” said Point Loma coach Rigo Ledezma. “Cathedral Catholic swept us in the last round of league play. Then we shut them out twice in the playoffs. We played without some key guys. Even Marviel was feeling all that great today. But they never quit. Showed up at practice every day. Worked hard. And they got it done.”
