Baseball: Mater Dei closes gap against Norco

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Santa Ana Mater Dei scored two runs in the bottom of the third, closing to 3-2 against Norco in the Southern Section Division I quarterfinal playoff game.

Derek Campbell led off with a hit batter. He moved to second on a sacrifice and went to third on an Aaron Northcraft single. Then Brian Frattali hit a chopper over the mound. Pitcher Matt Hobgood caught it but threw wildly to first, with two runs scoring.

Hobgood hasn’t been sharp with his control, walking three and hitting a batter with four strikeouts in three innings.

Northcraft just pitched his third consecutive scoreless inning, so the Monarchs are coming up in the bottom of the fourth against Hobgood.

-- Eric Sondheimer