Sage enters second round

Sage Hill School’s baseball team will face the heat today.

Not just in the form of miles per hour, but in degrees.

The Lightning leave the beach for the desert, where it is expected to be 90 degrees in Apple Valley.

The town’s motto is “A Better Way of Life.” More suitable if you’re indoors and the air conditioner is on during this time of year.

This one will be outside when Sage Hill (15-6) plays at Apple Valley Christian (18-2) in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division VI playoffs at 3:15 p.m.

“We’re going to be battling the elements with the heat and being on the road,” Sage Hill first-year coach Andy Berglund said. “But we’re excited to be doing it.”

None of the Lightning players have experienced playing in this type of heat, or in this round of the playoffs. This is the first time in the seven-year varsity program’s history that Sage Hill has advanced this far.

The Lightning, ranked No. 10 in the final Division VI coaches’ poll, are coming off an impressive come-from-behind 10-3 victory at home against Bellarmine-Jefferson of Burbank.

Solid pitching and timely hitting propelled Sage Hill.

For No. 8 Apple Valley Christian, it earned its first postseason win in 18 years in dominating fashion.

Pitcher Steven Messner no-hit Thermal Desert Mirage in a 8-0 victory. The senior left-hander struck out 17. A passed ball on a strikeout in the fourth prevented him from recording a perfect game.

The Warriors have played flawlessly during their 16-game winning streak. During this stretch, they’ve outscored the opposition, 186-41.

This one featuring Agape League champ Apple Valley Christian and Academy League champ Sage Hill might be a pitcher’s duel.

“We’re expecting their No. 1 guy,” Berglund said of Messner, who has been largely responsible for the Warriors shutting out six of their last seven opponents.

Berglund said he will start Travis Duncan (3-3, 2.33 earned-run average). The senior right-hander follows up freshman lefty Jack Heffron’s solid six-inning effort in the opening round.

“I was actually happy,” said Duncan after not starting last Friday. “I was hoping that [Heffron] would, just because our defense is better when he’s on the mound.”

Sage Hill can’t afford to make any mistakes against a high school with an enrollment of only 112 students if it plans to reach the quarterfinals Friday. The winner faces the winner of Los Angeles Milken Community and San Jacinto.

Offensively, the Warriors are a lot like Sage Hill. Not much in the way of home-run power, but both can drive the ball toward the gaps and run a little.

Messner and Bryce Ely have been hitting above .500 all year long for Apple Valley Christian.

Heffron entered the postseason hitting .509. And he’s confident about Sage Hill moving on to the next round with Duncan starting.

“He’s going to take it home for us,” said Heffron last Friday, when it was a lot cooler than it will be today for Sage Hill.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.