ORANGE COUNTY PREP BASEBALL : Sunset League : Holdridge Wins Another With His Bat for Ocean View, 5-3

David Holdridge, who dislocated his right collarbone during a December pickup tackle football game, is slowly earning the forgiveness of Bill Gibbons, Ocean View High School baseball coach.

Holdridge’s injury has kept him from pitching this season for Ocean View’s staff. But it hasn’t kept him from hitting, and he has been dominating.

Tuesday, his three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning gave Ocean View a 5-3 victory at home over Edison and moved the Seahawks into first place in the Sunset League.

Trailing, 3-2, in the seventh, Ocean View (4-0, 7-3) rallied with singles by right fielder Mike Danduran and Mike Fyhrie. After catcher Eric Christopherson bounced into a fielder’s choice to third, Holdridge ripped a one-strike fastball from reliever Frank Vidales over the left-center-field fence.

It was the second straight game Holdridge won with a three-run home run. Against Marina Friday, Holdridge hit a three-run homer in the seventh to send the game into extra innings and a three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth to win it.

“After I hurt my shoulder, I wasn’t hitting,” Holdridge said. “Now it doesn’t bother me.”

“I’ve faced him (Vidales) before, and I was just looking for the fastball. The first one wasn’t my pitch, so I took it for a strike. The second one was up and right there.”

“He’s getting much stronger physically,” Gibbons said of Holdridge. “It’s just a situation where you’ve got to be patient.”

Fyhrie, who relieved starter Dan Naulty in the sixth inning, pitched two innings to earn the victory. But Fyhrie (4-0) wasn’t effective in the sixth inning.

Naulty, who allowed two hits and struck out 10, left after he walked Jeff Nowak to open the inning. Fyhrie then walked shortstop Greg DeBenon and threw a wild pitch to send the runners to second and third.

After Fyhrie struck out Terrance Tewell, John Martin singled to right to score Nowak, but DeBenon was thrown out at the plate on a perfect relay from Danduran to first baseman Matt Bertram to Christopherson.

Edison (3-1, 9-3) played strong defense, too. With one out and the bases loaded in the third, Fyhrie hit a solid line drive, but second baseman Jeff Heesch leaped and speared the ball, tossing it to DeBenon for the double play.

“I thought that was going to be the key play in the game,” Gibbons said.

Charger pitcher Tom Thobe, who left after allowing the opening single in the seventh inning, was in control most of the game. He allowed three runs and five hits in six-plus innings.

But, Ocean View, which relies on the two-man pitching staff of Fyhrie and Naulty, stayed close.

“You can see we don’t blow anyone out,” Gibbons said. “If we can just stay in the game so we have a chance to win it, we can get the big hits.”

Still, Holdridge, the man behind the big hits lately, is looking forward to pitching.

“I threw the other day, and my arm was extended well. I’m shooting for CIF,” he said.

Marina 8, Huntington Beach 7--Steve Jio’s double to center field with two outs in the seventh inning scored Bruce Schmidt and gave Marina (1-3, 7-5) the victory at home.

Huntington Beach (1-3 in league) had scored two runs in the seventh to tie the score, 7-7. Schmidt singled with two outs and scored on Jio’s game-winning hit. Each team had 12 hits. Marina’s Ricky VanderRiet was 2 for 2 with two RBIs.

Westminster 15, Fountain Valley 8--Right fielder Dean Eddy hit for the cycle with five runs batted in to lead the Lions (2-1-1, 8-1-1) at home. Westinster scored eight runs in the second inning, and led by 9-0 after five innings. Fountain Valley is 0-4 in league.