All-Star High School Baseball : North Rallies for 9-8 Victory

For the second night in a row, the North All-Stars ran into some tough starting pitching in the California High School All-Star baseball series.

But after being shut out by Grossmont High’s Lance Dickson in Game 1 of the series Friday night, on Saturday the North rallied for a 9-8 victory at San Diego State’s Smith Field to even the three-game series at one game apiece.

For the longest time Saturday, it appeared the South would win. South starting pitcher Scott Schanz of Riverside North High struck out 11 batters in six innings--including six in a row in the fourth and fifth innings--as the South took a 6-4 lead.

Still trailing, 8-6, in the ninth, the North rallied. With one run in, one out and the bases loaded, John Kelly of Davis High hit a ground ball to first base. Manny Cervantes of Whittier La Serna threw home for the second out, but the return throw to first base by catcher Eric Helfand of Patrick Henry sailed down the right-field line. James Proctor of Hanford High and Paul Ellis of San Ramon Valley High scored to give the North the victory.

The series will conclude today at noon at the University of San Diego.

Early in Saturday’s game, Schanz’s 90-m.p.h. fastball was wild and damaging. He walked three batters in the second inning, and all three scored as the North took a 3-1 lead.

After that, however, he was impressive.

“I started thinking about all of the good players I had playing behind me, and I decided to start putting the ball over,” Schanz said.

That was bad news for the North. After Brad Firestone singled in the fourth, Schanz struck out six straight, three looking at fastballs on the corner.

After Schanz went out, the North rallied for two runs in the seventh to tie the score at 6-6.

But the South scored in the eighth when Granite Hills center fielder Donnie Carroll dropped a one-out single into left field and Helfand, who had doubled, scored from third. Jay Jackson, of Cerces High, came in with the bases loaded and walked the first batter he faced to give the South an 8-6 lead.

The North’s early 3-1 lead was erased when the South scored five times in the sixth. Dan Gil, of Pasadena Poly, singled in two runs to tie the score before Mike Fyhrie of Ocean View walked with the bases loaded for another run. Carroll followed with an infield single and the South led, 6-4.

While the North had trouble hitting, its pitchers had trouble throwing anything worth hitting. Ron Gerstein, of Santa Cruz Harbor, and Todd Manly, of San Jose Santa Teresa, combined to walk 12.