Servite Eliminates Notre Dame From 4-A Playoffs With 1-0 Win

With Servite High and Notre Dame receiving a pair of nearly flawless pitching performances Friday afternoon, extra innings seemed likely.

But an error in the bottom of the sixth was all Servite needed to score the game’s only run as the Friars defeated Notre Dame, 1-0, in a Southern Section 4-A first-round playoff game at Anaheim.

Notre Dame pitcher Tim DeGrasse allowed only two hits and struck out six batters.

Servite (20-5-1) countered with its own ace, Jim Ferguson, who also struck out six and allowed four hits. He improved his record to 9-1.

“Any playoff team has one outstanding pitcher and we saw theirs,” Servite Coach Mike McNary said. “He had us tied in knots.

“Jim didn’t have his best stuff today, but he got his off-speed pitches over the plate and got the job done.”

Neither team was able to score through the first five innings, but in the sixth, Servite got the only break it would need. With one out, Mike Robertson walked and tried to steal second base. The throw by catcher Bobby Hughes bounced off Robertson and rolled into the outfield, allowing him to go to third.

Servite catcher Brian Criss followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to produce the game’s only run.

Notre Dame (13-10-1) had a final chance in the seventh. DeGrasse opened the inning with a walk. But one out later, he was caught stealing after pinch-hitter Bruce Heicke struck out for a game-ending double play.

“I told the team the only way we would get beat was by errors and that’s what happened,” Notre Dame coach Bob Mandeville said. “I thought Tim DeGrasse carried us through, but we did a few things we shouldn’t have done.”