ORANGE COUNTY PREP BASEBALL : Laguna Hills Slows Down Trabuco Hills, 6-0

Laguna Hills High School handed Trabuco Hills its first Pacific Coast League loss of the season Tuesday, defeating the Mustangs, 6-0, at Laguna Hills.

Senior left-hander Jon Willard pitched a three-hitter and struck out eight for fourth-place Laguna Hills (4-4, 10-8). Trabuco Hills (7-1, 9-3-1) remained in first place despite the loss.

The Hawks scored runs in the first and second innings and broke open a close game in the fourth, when they scored four times off right-hander Dave Lowrey, who pitched an eight-hitter.

Two runs scored when both Aaron Arredondo and Mike Helm were hit by pitches with the bases loaded, and Sean Hardy capped the rally with a two-run double off the left-field fence. Chris Sheff had three hits and scored a run. Hardy and Rob Milo each had two hits.

Willard (4-2) retired the first nine batters before Trabuco Hills’ John Shetland led off the fourth inning with a single to left. Shetland was then picked off.

The Mustangs mounted their only threat in the fifth when Jim McGrew led off with a walk and moved to third on Lowrey’s single. Willard got Bob Perez and Chad Poulos to fly out, and John Barnes lined out to second base to end the inning. Scott Kriech had Trabuco Hills’ third hit, a single in the seventh.

Laguna Hills had committed six errors in its 9-3 loss to Trabuco Hills on March 24, but the Hawks played errorless ball Tuesday and made two exceptional defensive plays to keep Willard out of trouble in the first three innings.

Left fielder Pat Buckley made a lunging, backhand catch of McGrew’s line drive in the second inning. Hardy, the right fielder, made a diving catch of Poulos’ sinking line drive in the third. The teams play again Friday at Trabuco Hills.

In other Pacific Coast League action:

Orange 4, Laguna Beach 1--Aaron Vanderaa (5-1) threw a three-hitter and struck out six to lead the Panthers (6-2, 12-6) at home. John Miscovich went 2 for 3 with a run scored for Orange, and Paul Vinci went 2 for 2 with the game-winning RBI in the Panthers’ two-run first inning. Ted Savage had a leadoff home run for Laguna Beach.

Costa Mesa 8, Woodbridge 6--Greg Ertel hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to lead the Mustangs (1-7, 3-14) at home. Mike Crowe was 2 for 3 and scored two runs for Costa Mesa. Woodbridge is 5-3 in the league.

In the Century League:

Santa Ana 8, Canyon 0--Julio Varga, a sophomore catcher, had a home run, triple and three RBIs, and Fred Barrios (2-4) scattered eight hits, picking off three Canyon runners, to lead the Saints (4-4, 11-7) at home. The Comanches are 5-3, 12-5.

Foothill 5, Santa Ana Valley 4--Brian Woods had the game-winning RBI as Foothill (4-4, 7-11) scored three runs in the second inning at home.

Villa Park 7, El Modena 5 (8 innings)--Pat Riley’s two-out, two-run single in the top of the eighth inning was the difference at El Modena. Tom Kelly (6-3) struck out 10 for the Spartans (11-8, 5-3). El Modena’s Larry Monaco hit a two-run homer in the first.

In the Olympic League:

Capistrano Valley Christian 15, Southern California Christian (Anaheim) 7--Brent Ward was 3 for 4 with four RBIs, two runs and two stolen bases and Daron Sutton was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs to lead the Eagles (2-4, 6-11) at home. Southern California Christian is 1-5 in the league.

In the Sunset League:

Westminster 8, Marina 2--Al Rodriguez was 3 for 4, with a triple, scored two runs and had an RBI to lead the Lions at home. Sophomore Ryan Klesko was 1 for 2 with three RBIs for Westminster (5-2-1, 14-3-1). Brian Stubbs (7-2), also a sophomore, scattered seven hits and struck out six for the victory. Marina is 1-7 in the league.

Ocean View 13, Huntington Beach 2--The Seahawks hit three home runs, and scored five runs in the third inning and five runs in the fifth at Ocean View. David Holdridge hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning, his seventh of the season. Mike Fyhrie and Simon Valenzuela hit homers in the sixth inning for Ocean View (7-1, 13-4). Huntington Beach is 2-5-1 in the league.

Edison 12, Fountain Valley 11--Designated hitter Chris Powell hit a grand slam and the Chargers (6-2, 13-5) scored seven runs in the third inning for the victory at home. Fountain Valley (2-6, 7-10) scored four runs in each of the sixth and seventh.

In nonleague action:

Orange Lutheran 9, Webb 3--Doug Siperly hit two home runs, his third and fourth of the season, to lead Orange Lutheran (12-6) at home. Dan Lilly also had a two-run homer for Orange Lutheran. Webb, of Claremont, is 9-5.