SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : 2-A Roundup : Irvine Comes From Behind to Eliminate Chino, 13-6

Irvine High School rallied for six runs in the third inning to post a 13-6 victory over Chino in the opening round of the Southern Section 2-A baseball playoffs Friday at Irvine.

The Vaqueros (20-8-1) were trailing, 2-0, going into the third inning, but a costly error by Cowboy left fielder Andy Brown, who misplayed Mike Moceri’s fly ball with the bases loaded and two out, helped Irvine score four unearned runs.

Senior right-hander Brian Snoddy (11-2) went the distance for Irvine, the South Coast League’s No. 1 team, by surviving a shaky fifth inning in which he allowed four runs.

Snoddy walked one, struck out eight and allowed 11 hits.

Chino, which finished 15-11, took a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI singles by Alan Burke and D.J. Floyd. Irvine narrowed the gap to 2-1 when Steve Habermehl drove home Bobby Hamelin, who had walked to lead off.

A walk to Scott Morton loaded the bases with two out.

Moceri then lifted a high fly to left center. Brown and center fielder Adrian Moreno moved over for the play but the ball fell in front of Brown.

The Vaqueros made it 6-2 on an RBI single by Jeff Walters.

However, Chino, the Hacienda League’s No. 3 team, scored four runs in the fifth. A two-run triple by Burke to right center reduced the lead to 10-6.

Irvine countered with three runs in the inning on three hits, two walks and an error.

Morton drove home the second run on a ground out.

Hamelin, the county leader in home runs with nine, was walked four times, three intentionally. His only official at-bat came in the first inning when he flied to deep center.

Morton was 1 for 2 with three runs scored and an RBI. Moceri was 2 for 3 with two runs scored.

Capistrano Valley 2, Bell Gardens 0--Senior right-hander Scott Stark pitched a complete-game, eight-hitter with four strikeouts to help the Cougars defeat the Lancers at Capistrano Valley.

The Cougars scored one run in the second inning when Chris Ashbach drove in Brett Snyder with a squeeze. Capistrano Valley’s other run came in the sixth when Nathan Call hit a bases-empty home run.

Carlos Garcia went the distance on a five-hitter and struck out three. Bell Gardens left six runners on bases.

Mission Viejo 7, Santa Fe 6--The Diablos scored a run in the top of the seventh inning to build a 7-2 lead but barely held on after a four-run Chief rally in the seventh at Santa Fe High.

Matt Lackie relieved starter and winner Jack Bailey in the seventh and allowed a single that brought the Chiefs within one. An error then loaded the bases for Santa Fe but Lackie struck out the next two hitters for the save.

Don Roberson went 2 for 4 with an RBI for Mission Viejo. Bailey singled in pinch-runner Dwayne Lee in the seventh to give the Diablos a 7-2 lead.

John Glenn 5, La Quinta 4--The Aztecs took a 3-0 lead in the first inning but couldn’t hold on and were eliminated by the Eagles at John Glenn High. Sean McDowell went all the way on a five-hitter for Glenn, which will play Mountain View in the second round.

Joey Dunn had an RBI triple and Troy Paulsen hit a two-run home run in the first inning for the Aztecs (18-9). La Quinta scored again in the second inning on Tim Park’s RBI single.

Mountain View 5, Estancia 1--Senior right-hander Brian Romero pitched a five-hitter to lead the Vikings to the victory at Mountain View. Romero (13-0) entered the game with a 0.65 earned-run average and 96 strikeouts. Danny Dougherty had an RBI single in the seventh inning to drive in Estancia’s only run. The Eagles finish at 11-13.