Summers Sickens Alemany With 2-Hitter

Royal High pitcher Joe Summers was feeling sick to his stomach before Tuesday’s game against Alemany. He was so nervous he almost threw up before he ever got to the mound to throw the first pitch.

Summers got control of his stomach, then proceeded to make the Alemany hitters look sick. The 6-3 senior allowed just two hits as Royal, ranked fifth in The Times Valley Top 10 poll, defeated sixth-ranked Alemany, 5-4, in a first-round game of the Palos Verdes tournament at Royal. In Saturday’s second-round game at a site to be determined, Royal plays University. Alemany (5-2) plays Gardena on Saturday

Tuesday’s win was the second straight two-hitter for Summers, who shut out Calabasas, 4-0, last Thursday. Only one of the runs against Summers was earned and that represents the lone earned run allowed by the Royal pitching staff in the past 27 innings.

“I need to learn to relax a little bit,” said Summers, who walked five and struck out six. “I was pretty tight throughout the game. I didn’t feel relaxed until we had the lead.”

Royal (3-0-1) trailed, 4-3, going into the bottom of the sixth inning, largely because of a three-error third inning, during which Alemany scored three runs.

Dan Presta led off the Royal sixth--and tied the score--with a line shot over the left-field fence for his first home run of the season. Mike Kinnaman followed with a bunt single, setting the stage for the key play of the game.

Royal’s Travis Kinyoun then grounded back to Alemany pitcher Mike Rooney, who wheeled around and threw to second base. Shortstop Greg Biley took the throw with his foot off the bag and his own throw to first was too late to get Kinyoun.

After Brian Malone replaced Rooney, Royal’s Jim Dollar bunted down the third-base line for a single to load the bases. Terry Cruz, who had a two-run single in the fourth, brought in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Summers retired the side in order in the seventh inning and Royal had won its biggest game of the season.

“We had been pointing to this game for the last two weeks,” Royal Coach Mike McCurdy said. “We’re struggling for some identity in baseball here at Royal and this type of win gives us a lot of confidence.”

In the first inning, the Highlanders had gone ahead, 1-0, after Sean Sullivan singled in J.P. Hardy, who had led off the inning with a double down the left-field line.

Alemany took a 3-1 lead in the third inning with the help of Royal errors by Summers, second baseman Mike Keegan and Kinyoun, the catcher. Joe Cupo’s two-run double was the only hit that did any damage. Alemany added its fourth run in the fourth inning when Jon Beauchemin scored from third on a wild pitch by Summers.

Royal closed to 4-3 in its half of the fourth on Cruz’s two-out single that drove in Kinyoun and Dollar, who had both singled earlier in the inning.

“We’ve had the same problem for the last year and a half,” Alemany Coach Jim Ozella said. “We’ve had problems putting people away. I’m real disappointed.”