Orange County Prep Baseball : Everything Goes As Ordered by Speidel in Servite’s 10-9 Victory

Had things gone as scheduled, Servite High School center fielder Jay Speidel would have just returned to the lineup this week for the Friars’ two-game series with rival Mater Dei.

After undergoing surgery last November for a dislocated left shoulder, doctors told Speidel that he would need six months of rehabilitation before he could play baseball again.

But the All-Angelus League outfielder surprised his doctor and even himself by recovering in only three months and playing the entire season for the Friars.

It wasn’t until Saturday, though, that Speidel really arrived.

He had been having a decent year, batting about .300 with one home run, but on Saturday Speidel had the game of his life.

The senior hit two home runs, including a solo homer to left-center field in the top of the seventh inning to break a 9-9 tie and give Servite a 10-9 victory over the Monarchs at Mater Dei High School.

The win kept the first-place Friars (10-3, 14-6) a game ahead of St. Paul and Bishop Amat and knocked the Monarchs out of the CIF Southern Section playoffs for only the third time in Coach Bob Ickes’ 13 years. Mater Dei (6-7, 12-9) is three games out of third place with two to play.

“Mater Dei’s whole philosophy is to beat us,” said Speidel, a switch-hitter who homered from both sides Saturday. “This is always the game of the year. This is sweet. Just being able to play this year is something.”

After Speidel’s second homer, Servite reliever James Ferguson, who had allowed two runs in the sixth inning, struck out Rick Barr and Jim Zaccari and got Jim Austin to ground out, putting an end to a wild game.

Mater Dei, which had 15 hits, scored five runs in the fourth inning with the help of three bad-hop singles to take a 7-3 lead. Servite came back with five runs in the fifth, including four on consecutive home runs by Corey Wentz, Speidel and Chris Ulmer.

Wentz’s two-run shot sailed well past the left-field fence. Speidel, batting from the left side, then lofted a fly ball that the wind helped carry over the left-center-field fence. Ulmer, another left-handed batter, then smashed the third homer to left-center.

All three home runs came off Monarch starter Mike McCarthy, who was eventually replaced by Steve Watson. But the left-hander, who struck out 14 in Mater Dei’s 5-2 win over the Friars Wednesday, threw a wild pitch that allowed Mike Robertson to score and give Servite an 8-7 lead.

The Friars increased the lead to 9-7 on Mike Petko’s bases-loaded walk in the sixth, but Mater Dei came back with two runs in the sixth, the first scoring when Dave Randell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and the second on John Mounce’s RBI single. Ferguson struck out pinch-hitter Eric Neight on three pitches to end the inning.

Mounce had four hits and three RBIs for the Monarchs, but also made two errors in the sixth inning. Mater Dei made two errors in the fourth inning when the Friars scored twice.

In Century League action:

Tustin 4, Orange 3--John Ashman’s RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning broke a 3-3 tie and lifted the Tillers (9-3, 16-4) to the win at Tustin High. Steve Surico, who pitched a no-hitter Tuesday, relieved starter Chris Floth with no outs and a runner on in the seventh and retired the side for the save.

Surico was aided by two fine defensive plays. Shortstop Matt Lundin dived to his left to stop Darren Ford’s grounder and flipped to second for a forceout, and catcher Darren Puckett threw out Steve Newcomer at second when he tried to advance after a low pitch bounced away from the catcher.

Surico and Mike Anderson each added RBI singles for Tustin. Gabe Trejo went 3 for 3 with an RBI single for the Panthers (1-11, 5-15).

In Sunset League action:

Huntington Beach 5, Edison 3--Jeff Haack (9-2) pitched a five-hitter to lead the Oilers (7-6, 12-10) to the win at home. Haack struck out five and walked three en route to his eighth complete game of the season.

The win keeps the Oilers in a second-place tie with Westminster. Huntington Beach left fielder Brian McLeod went 3 for 3, including an RBI double in the third inning. Oiler catcher Coley McClendon hit a solo homer in the seventh. Edison’s Jeff Broulette hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to tie the score at 2-2. Edison is 4-9 in league, 12-12 overall.