ORANGE COUNTY PREP BASEBALL : South Coast League : Hollis Pitches, Fields Dolphin Win

Jay Hollis of Dana Hills High School was the winning pitcher in Friday’s 2-1 South Coast League victory over Mission Viejo, but the Dolphin right-hander deserves credit for a save, too.

After being replaced by Bryan Hatch with one out and two on in the bottom of the sixth inning, Hollis made two outstanding defensive plays in center field to prevent the host Diablos from tying the score.

Hollis breezed through the first four innings, retiring the first nine batters and allowing only one hit in the fourth, before Mission Viejo scored in the fifth to cut the lead to 2-1.

The Diablos’ Phil Houston walked to open the sixth and, after a fly out, Jack Bailey singled to put runners on first and second. Dolphin Coach Bob Canary brought Hatch to the mound, sent Hollis to center field and center fielder Craig Lombardi to right. Right fielder Sean Barrett was taken out of the game.

Mission Viejo second baseman Dan Reed then lined Hatch’s first pitch toward the gap in left-center field, but Hollis made a nice running catch for the second out.

Hollis barely had time to catch his breath and set himself in center field when the next batter, Pat Quigley, smashed Hatch’s first pitch toward left-center.

It appeared the drive would score both runners, who ran at the crack of the bat. But Hollis, after another long run, made a diving, backhanded catch to end the rally.

Dana Hills needed one more good defensive play to secure the victory. With runners on first and second and two out in the seventh, Houston chopped a grounder between first base and the mound.

But Hatch, a 6-foot, 2-inch, 230-pound lineman on the Dolphins’ football team, fielded the ball and beat Houston to the bag for the unassisted putout.

“We definitely dodged some bullets today, no question about it,” said Canary, whose Dolphins (7-4 league, 13-8-1 overall) are tied with Irvine for second place.

Dana Hills spent the first two innings dodging baseballs. Houston walked two in the first, and in the second walked two and hit a batter.

The Dolphins left the bases loaded in the first inning but took advantage in the second. Ron Openshaw scored on Greg Erickson’s fielder’s choice, and Hollis had an RBI single, one of only two hits the Dolphins had in the game.

Matt Lackie relieved Houston in the third and allowed one hit and struck out eight the rest of the way for Mission Viejo (4-7, 13-7).

Irvine 4, El Toro 3--Brian Brocoff’s single with two out in the seventh scored Jeff Walters as the Vaqueros defeated the Chargers at Irvine.

Irvine (7-4, 12-9) tied the score, 3-3, in the top of the seventh on Nick Nikolenko’s RBI groundout. Marlon Bringas went 2 for 3 for the Vaqueros. Adam Brass went 2 for 3 with a triple for El Toro (5-6, 14-8).

Capistrano Valley 4, San Clemente 1--Brett Snyder (7-1) threw a five-hitter and struck out 10 to lead the Cougars at San Clemente. Bill Bardens went 2 for 3, and Charles Lockard went 2 for 4 for Capistrano Valley (10-1, 19-2). Andy Greek pitched a six-hitter and struck out six for the Tritons (0-11, 2-16-1).