Millikan first baseman AJ Nonato jumps with emotion after his stellar catch in foul territory retired Summit in the sixth inning in Division 3 quarterfinal action on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Long Beach City College in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
LONG BEACH — Millikan pitcher Daunte Bell tossed a shutout and right fielder Shane Wally produced the only run in the Rams’ 1-0 win over Summit in the Division 3 quarterfinals of the CIF-SS baseball playoffs Friday at Long Beach City College.
The Rams (23-7) will be at Agoura for the semifinals Tuesday.
Bell scattered six hits and struck out six batters with one walk.
He got a big assist from Millikan first baseman AJ Nonato’s defense to preserve the lead in the sixth and seventh innings.
Millikan starter Daunte Bell faces Summit in Division 3 quarterfinal action on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Long Beach City College in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Summit’s Aiden Garcia is out at home sliding head first as Millikan catcher Gavin Reyes steps on the plate for a force play with the bases loaded in the sixth inning preserving the Rams’ 1-0 lead in Division 3 quarterfinal action on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Long Beach City College in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan pitcher Daunte Bell, second from left, and his teammates celebrate after knocking off Summit 1-0 in Division 3 quarterfinal action on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Long Beach City College in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Summit Evan Spencer makes the safe call on his fourth inning single against Millikan in Division 3 quarterfinal action on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Long Beach City College in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan pinch-runner Maison Crommie leaps over Summit catcher Damian Lizarraga to score the only run of the game in Division 3 quarterfinal action on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Long Beach City College in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Summit players cheer from the dugout during Division 3 quarterfinal action against Millikan on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Long Beach City College in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan first baseman AJ Nonato jumps with emotion after his stellar catch in foul territory retired Summit in the sixth inning in Division 3 quarterfinal action on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Long Beach City College in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Summit starter Mario Flores pitches against Millikan in Division 3 quarterfinal action on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Long Beach City College in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
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Millikan starter Daunte Bell faces Summit in Division 3 quarterfinal action on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Long Beach City College in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
“That’s all AJ,” Bell said. “That’s his natural ability, natural gift. He works the hardest I’ve seen out of any sophomore, every single day at practice.”
Bell allowed three consecutive singles in the sixth, including one off his left ankle that had him hobbled. That left him facing a one-out, bases-loaded jam.
Summit right fielder Kenneth Parks hit a high chopper to Nonato, who patiently waited for the ball to come down before firing home to catcher Gavin Reyes. The throw beat a sliding Aiden Garcia for the second out.
“As a kid, you always look forward to big games like this,” Nonato said. “It starts in practice. … It’s always pre-pitch, taking my deep breaths, relaxing and knowing the situation and what I gotta do.”
T6: Millikan trying to get out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam. The second out on the throw from first to home. pic.twitter.com/r7NgO1pxDb
— Tracy McDannald 📎 (@Tracy_McDannald) May 23, 2026
Bell then induced a pop up in foul territory that Nonato caught off balance against the fence near the Summit dugout to end the threat.
“Watching (Nonato) take pregame, I actually said it to one of my coaches,” SkyHawks coach Samuel Lopez said. “‘Hey, this first baseman is really, really good.’ That isn’t always the case in high school baseball, but he’s definitely a game changer.”
With one out in the seventh, Nonato made a sliding, over-the-shoulder catch in shallow right field to keep Summit (21-10) from starting a rally.
Rams coach Ron Keester and Nonato both agreed that while the throw to save the run was more important, the basket catch in the final inning was their favorite play.
“Just because the ball gets hit, and in your peripheral (vision) you’re looking if the right fielder is going to come in, if the second baseman (,” .
“I didn’t think of him catching that ball,” Keester said, “then all of a sudden he appears out of nowhere to make that catch.”
In the fifth, Wally snapped the scoreless tie with a two-out single to center field off Summit pitcher Mario Flores.
Pinch-runner Maison Crommie was awarded home plate after Summit catcher Damian Lizarraga was called for blocking the plate after fielding a slightly off-target throw that beat Crommie.
Flores was otherwise equally as strong as Bell. He struck out four with one walk and allowed five hits over six innings. At the plate, SkyHawks shortstop Evan Spencer had three hits.
Summit, however, failed to produce an extra-base hit.
“The effort was definitely there,” Lopez said. “We gave ourselves multiple shots to scratch across a run and we just couldn’t come through with that big hit. … Quite a few hard-hit balls out there and just didn’t shake out our way.”