Garden Grove League : La Quinta’s ‘Little Ball’ Gains 2-1 Win

The La Quinta High School baseball team does not have particularly outstanding hitting. Coach Dave Demarest will be the first to admit that fact.

Yet with solid defense and pitching the Aztecs still manage to win with remarkable consistency. The Aztecs are 10-1 in the Garden Grove League record, good for first place and a No. 4 ranking in the Orange County Sportswriter’s poll.

La Quinta’s 2-1 victory over visiting Garden Grove Friday was typical of the Aztecs’ 17 victories this season. They have lost only twice.

It took two unearned runs and three pitchers to subdue the third-place Argonauts (6-5, 8-10). The Aztecs managed just two hits, but took advantage of five Garden Grove errors, hardly a powerful offensive showing.

Consistency and perseverance appear to be the Aztecs’ two greatest weapons. And they’ve served the Aztecs well.

“People have been kidding me about moving mirrors,” Demarest said. “We’re literally moving people, though. We have players playing two or three positions in the game.”

Troy Paulsen, a junior, is a typical Aztec jack of all trades.

Paulsen started Friday’s game at third base, moved to pitcher, where he pitched 2 innings. He gave way to Rich Boren in the sixth inning, and finished the game at shortstop.

Although he gave up three of the Argonauts hits and their lone run, Paulsen struck out three batters. He also scored the Aztecs’ first run in the third inning.

Boren entered the sixth with one out with Argonaut runners on first and second and La Quinta leading, 2-1. After walking pitcher Keith Mowdy, he got first baseman Jerry Canada to ground into an inning-ending double play.

La Quinta couldn’t have scored its runs without the benifit of some Garden Grove’s fielding.

Wilson doubled to lead off the third. Paulsen grounded into a fielder’s choice, cutting down pinch runner Floyd Leon at third. Freshman Mark Dion then reached first on an error by Donnie Lockman.

Dion then attempted to steal second, and catcher Alex Alvarez’s throw sailed into center field. Paulsen scored to give the Aztecs a 1-0 lead.

The Aztecs scored their next run without hitting the ball out of the infield. Center fielder Scott Oyama got to first on a Lockman error. Leon bunted Oyama to second. Oyama scored when shortstop Mark Kiefer booted Paulsen’s sharply hit grounder.

For the most part, that was La Quinta’s offense.

Wilson’s double was the only well-hit ball the Aztecs got off Mowdy, who pitched impressively.

He struck out three and walked just two in six innings.

But Garden Grove couldn’t generate any offense until the sixth. Jeff Kanegae lead off with an infield hit. Alvarez followed with a single to center and Tim Gertsen lined a single to left to score Kanegae. Boren replaced Paulsen and got the timely double play that ended the Argonauts’ chances.

“It’s not like we’re lucky,” Demarest said. “It’s something we work on. I know some schools spend two or three hours on hitting.”

That’s fine as far as Demarest is concerned, but the Aztecs will stick with what’s been working--good pitching and defense.

“That’s the way it’s been all year,” he said.

In other Garden Grove League action

Bolsa Grande 4, Santiago 0--Sophomore right-hander Tony Beall (4-2) pitched a three-hit shutout and struck out seven to lead the host Matadors past the Cavaliers. Bolsa Grande broke open a 1-0 game in the fifth inning when it scored three times. The big hit was a two-run double by Mike Valadez. Rick Steele stole second, third and home in the first inning to give the Matadors a 1-0 lead and improve his season stolen base total to 22.

Rancho Alamitos 10, Los Amigos 9--The Vaqueros took advantage of eight Lobo errors to record their first league win at Rancho Alamitos. The game was tied, 7-7, going into the fifth inning. Los Amigos scored two runs in the top of the fifth, but the Vaqueros came bak with three in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.