Katella Will Take Win Any Way It Can Get One

El Dorado and Katella high schools compete in reputedly the toughest baseball league in Orange County--the Empire. They played Friday at Boysen Park in Anaheim--Katella’s home field--to determine if El Dorado would retain sole possession of second place or if the Knights would share the spot.

Katella won the game, 8-5. Now, both teams are 5-3 and trail Esperanza (8-0) by three games. Both teams also shared the knowledge after Friday’s game that neither had played very well.

El Dorado committed five errors. Katella had only three but made up for that with two passed balls and a wild pitch.

“This kind of thing happens,” said Tim McMenamin, Katella coach. “To survive in this league is an accomplishment. You’re happy to get a win, no matter how it comes.”

The Knights got 12 hits, five in the second inning when they scored five runs. Not surprising, Katella’s big inning started off with an El Dorado error.

Right fielder Marc Gerdes hit a ground ball that Golden Hawk shortstop Shawn Blankenship bobbled. After a walk to Brad Harker, Gerdes scored the game’s first run on a single by first baseman Mike Burton.

Catcher Wade Farley followed with a single to score Harker. Bob Gallego’s double to left drove in Burton, and Jeff Repoz’s sacrifice fly to right scored Farley. Osmar DeChavez finished the scoring with a single to drive in Gallego and put Katella ahead, 5-0.

El Dorado (13-5 overall) cut the lead to 5-2 with two runs in the third.

Scott Holcomb led off the inning with a double and advanced to third when DeChavez committed an error at shortstop on a ground ball hit by Doug Sipple.

Holcomb scored when Blankenship grounded into a fielder’s choice. Starting pitcher Steve Gill (2-1) drove in the Golden Hawks’ second run with a single to center.

The Knights (12-7 overall) scored their final three runs in the third, this time aided by two El Dorado errors.

El Dorado added two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth.

“Realistically, all you can hope to do in this league is stay in the top three,” McMenamin said. “Unless Esperanza completely falls apart, nobody’s going to catch them. We figure if we can stay in the top three and get to the playoffs, we have a great chance at beating people because we play playoff caliber teams every league game.”

McMenamin’s obvious enthusiasm was tempered by a somber Steve Gullotti, El Dorado coach.

“Our team’s in a bit of slump right now,” Gullotti said. “We’re in a hitting slump, and I think the kids are pressing in other areas of the game to make up for it. They’re making mistakes they wouldn’t normally make. They’re just frustrated.”

In other Empire League action:

Esperanza 4, Los Alamitos 2--Steve Halweg (10-0) pitched six innings to pick up his second win of the week. He pitched two innings of relief to earn a victory Tuesday against Loara. Esperanza (8-0, 16-1-1) scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to break a 1-1 tie. Junior second baseman Brian Aube, a member of the Aztec’s Southern Section soccer championship team, went 2 for 3 with a run scored and two RBIs. Kevin Clancy was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and is hitting .759 his last 10 games. Senior left-hander Brooks Peters took the loss for the Griffins (3-5, 13-8).

In other Empire League action:

Loara 6, Pacifica 0--Junior left-hander Alan Evans (3-0) gave up seven hits but did not allow a run to lead the Saxons (4-3-1, 13-7-1). Loara took control early by scoring five runs in the bottom of the second inning. Curt Henson had a single and two RBIs, Mike Golia had a double and an RBI, and Brian Roberts singled and had an RBI during the five-run second. Jeff Patterson also had a double and an RBI for Loara. Pacifica fell to 0-7-1 in league and 5-13-1 overall.

Cypress 13, Kennedy 7--The Centurions scored six runs in the first inning, three coming on a home run by first baseman Jason Friedman, to earn their first league win of the season. Friedman was 2 for 3 with five RBIs. Cypress added three runs in the second inning and four more in the third.