THE PREPS : South Coast League Baseball : Walker Subdues Mission Viejo, 5-3

Capistrano Valley High School scored all its runs in the second inning and then held on for a 5-3 South Coast League victory over Mission Viejo Friday at Capistrano Valley.

Brian Walker (2-3), who singled and scored a run in the second, allowed six hits as he staved off a rally by Mission Viejo (11-3, 2-3) in the sixth to score the victory.

“Brian kept the ball in the ballpark all day long,” Bob Zamora, Capistrano Valley coach, said. “Perhaps he was tiring late in the game, but he bulldogged it out.”

Capistrano Valley (7-8, 3-2) loaded the bases to start the second inning. After pitcher Chris Boger walked leadoff hitter Dave Guillen, he gave up singles to Walker and David Rawsen.

Guillen scored when Matt Spence hit into a force play. Walker then came home when Mission Viejo third baseman Derek Gingerich fumbled Buster Nietzke’s grounder for an error.

Chris Wend grounded a double down the left field line to score Spence and advance Nietzke to third.

Chris Ashbach singled to score Nietzke. Wend, who went to third on Ashbach’s hit, scored on Charlie Lockard’s sacrifice fly.

Mission Viejo, which had just two hits off Walker after five innings, scored all its runs in the sixth. After Lance Sabella and Eric Ekdahl singled to start the inning, they advanced to third and second, respectively, on Gingerich’s infield out.

Matt Balsz then dribbled a double down the left field line to score the runners. After Scott Parrott’s infield out and Walker’s walk of Troy Kopp, Balsz scored on Walker’s errant pickoff throw to first.

Walker then struck out Jon Hayes to end the Mission Viejo threat.

The Diablos got one more chance to tie the score when Steve Guenther led off the seventh with a single. But Walker retired Jeff Hawkins on a pop fly to first and forced Sabella to ground into a double play to end the game.

“If he had put another runner or two on base (in the sixth), I would have taken him out,” Zamora said. “We had Robby Pratt out there in the bullpen ready to go if we needed him, but I had a lot of confidence in Brian. He was able to get the big outs when he had to, especially the double plays. The last double play was especially sweet to see.”

Irvine 11, San Clemente 5--Scott Vollmer hit a three-run home run in the first inning as visiting Irvine opened a 6-0 lead in the first. Vollmer had two hits. Mike Nau and Jerry Rahmatulla had two hits, including a double and two RBIs each, for Irvine (12-3, 5-0). Kevin Obergfell picked up the victory and Jason Hartnaov took the loss. John Math hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning for San Clemente, 1-4 in league.

El Toro 6, Dana Hills 5 (8 innings)--Sean Drinkwater’s bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom of the eighth gave host El Toro the victory. Drinkwater had two hits and two RBIs. Adam Brass had two hits and two runs scored for El Toro (7-9, 2-3). Don Goodbrand (3-1) went eight innings for the victory. Lance Marks went 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs for Dana Hills (2-3 in league).