QUARTZ HILL — For the first time in a long time, if not ever, the Highland baseball team completed a two-game sweep of Quartz Hill, winning Friday’s game 4-2 at Quartz Hill High.

“Super proud of these guys,” Highland first-year head coach Travis Studt said. “I mean, it was a team effort. Landon (Manzano) threw a heck of a game, was in the zone the whole day. We made the plays, defensively, we needed.”

In recent years, the teams have split the home-and-away series. So, the sweep was special for the three-time defending Golden League champion Bulldogs.

“This is our season right here,” Highland starting pitcher Landon Manzano said. “This is what we came to play and we did it. Not that it’s easy from here on out, but this was our game to get and we got it. It’s gonna be a dogfight for the rest of the season, but this meant a lot for sure.”

Manzano was determined to pitch a complete game for the Bulldogs. He missed out on the shutout, allowing two runs in the seventh, but he was able to pull through for his team. Manzano allowed five hits and one walk and struck out eight batters.

“The rivalry, first off, this is just a game I want,” Manzano said about what motivated him to finish the game. “And then, my teammates, obviously. I was starting to get tired there near the end, but my team is behind me, supporting me.”

It was a nice follow up outing to the no-hitter he pitched against Palmdale last week.

“He’s had two impressive games now in Golden League and we’re ready to get to the next series,” Travis Studt said.

The Royals, however, didn’t make it easy for Manzano to close out the game in the seventh inning. Up until that time, Quartz Hill had just two hits and no runs in the game.

The Royals came out with hot bats in the bottom of the seventh. Emery Garcia led off the frame with a base hit and Marley Castaneda followed with a fielder’s choice.

Quartz Hill left fielder Adyan Bischop then brought home Castaneda for his team’s first run with an RBI double to the gap in right-center field. It was the best hit ball all day for Quartz Hill.

“We’re always a team that’s gonna fight, no matter what,” Bischop said. “I was just willing to do anything I possibly could just to get on base to help my team, advance the next guy, get to the next guy, just inch a little closer.”

Bischop moved to third on a groundout and then came home on Trevor Kellogg’s RBI single up the middle. The next batter grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game.

“We didn’t quit,” Quartz Hill coach Aaron Kavanagh said. “Ultimately, that’s what you want for them as they move forward, they didn’t quit. … We had some fight. We’ve just got to do that early in the game.”

Bischop said the Royals were motivated by a couple of incidents that happened on the base paths, particularly when a Highland runner barreled into the Quartz Hill first baseman on the first-base line as he was trying to catch a popup. The runner was called out on the play.

“I think, a lot of stuff that happened in the game that really just lit a fire under us in some way, like, obviously, our guy getting ran over right there,” Bischop said. “Definitely wasn’t happy about that. Luckily, our coaches got us right. We got in a little huddle, we got our minds right and then I think that helped us.”

The Bulldogs, who won Wednesday’s home game 6-2, wasted no time getting on the board. Highland shortstop Nate Quijas led off the game with a walk and catcher Cole Studt followed one out later with a walk of his own. Then, third baseman Hudson Harding brought home Quijas with an RBI single to left field. 

A walk to Manzano loaded the bases for left fielder Mateo Dominguez, who drew a walk to bring home another run.

Scoring those two runs boosted Manzano before he took the mound.

“It took all the pressure off me, honestly,” he said. “Just let me realize I just have to throw strikes and my team will back me up. Without those two runs, I don’t know if the game’s the same.”

Manzano’s RBI walk ended the day for Quartz Hill pitcher Kayden Smoot, who allowed two runs on one hit and four walks with one strikeout while recording just one out. 

Matthew Esparza replaced Smoot on the mound, and held the Bulldogs scoreless for four innings, allowing just three hits and four walks, while striking out five.

“Esparza, especially, gave us a real chance today,” Kavanagh said. “I was proud of him.”

Four Royals pitchers combined to dish out 10 walks and on hit batter to the Bulldogs, along with six wild pitches.

Highland right fielder Arturo Carrillo was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the sixth inning and rounded the base paths on three wild pitches, the last one allowing him to score.

Manzano led off the top of the seventh with a single, went to second on a pick-off attempt error, went to third on a strikeout and scored on a wild pitch to give himself an insurance run.

The Bulldogs had just five hits in the game, matching Quartz Hill. They left the bases loaded in the first inning and again in the fifth.

“Would have liked to score a few more runs, left too many runners on base,” Travis Studt said. “We didn’t get that clutch hit in that big situation. But we managed to score enough to get the W.”

Highland first baseman Jake Wilson was 2-for-4, while second baseman Jacob Aragon picked up a hit and Cole Studt had a hit and walked three times.

“There’s not a scale to measure how much I love these guys,” Manzano said. “A lot of seniors in this class, too. So, we’re all saying goodbye. I think that’s really what drove us, as well, knowing it’s our last year.” 

Castaneda had Quartz Hill’s first hit in the second inning and third baseman Parker White recorded a hit in the fifth.

“My team, we’re very close,” Bischop said. “We’re very loving, we always let each other know that we’re there for each other. I think there’s obviously some things that we need to clean up on the field and little stuff like that. But, there’s always room for improvement. So, there’s never a moment where we just give up.

“We’re always just super right there with each other, so I think that helps us a lot to succeed.”

Both teams will spend their spring breaks playing in Arizona at the Coach Bob Invitational next week.