Prep Baseball : South Coast League : Dana Hills Wins It in the Ninth

Denny Papp hit a ninth-inning home run to give Dana Hills High School a 3-2 South Coast League baseball victory over Capistrano Valley Friday at Dana Hills.

Papp, who struck out three times against Brian Walker (3-4) before the ninth inning, hit a Walker fastball high over the center-field fence to break a 2-2 tie and give the Dolphins (10-9, 4-4) the victory.

Dana Hills, which trailed Capistrano Valley, 2-1, before rain delayed play for 15 minutes after 5 1/2 innings, tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Chris Delfs, who singled, moved to second on a walk and went to third on a wild pitch, scored on Capistrano Valley second baseman Chris Ashbach’s error.

“This game was typical of the way things have gone for us this season,” said Bob Zamora, Capistrano Valley coach. “We haven’t been able to make the clutch play all season. Walker (who struck out 11 and allowed 7 hits) pitched a good game for us, but we didn’t give him the support he needed to back him up.”

Dana Hills’ Rick Whipple (2-3) allowed 5 hits and struck out 6 to record the win.

“What made this game the best Whipple has pitched this season was his control,” said Rob Canary, Dana Hills coach. “He kept the ball low and kept throwing strikes throughout the game.”

Zamora said: “We hardly hit him at all. Except for Walker’s homer (a two-run shot in the fourth), we just didn’t hit the ball against him because he was keeping the ball low.”

Walker, who had won three straight games, fell behind, 1-0, on Craig Lombardi’s third-inning homer to left. Lombardi’s hit came just minutes after Billy Bardens narrowly missed a home run when his long fly to left field hooked foul.

Capistrano Valley (8-10, 4-4) came back to take a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning when Dave Guillen led off with a single and Walker followed by hitting a Whipple pitch over the fence in right-center.

In other South Coast League games:

Mission Viejo 4, Irvine 1--Matt Balsz threw a five-hitter and hit two home runs as host Mission Viejo beat first-place Irvine for the second straight day. Balsz, who saved Mission Viejo’s 4-3 victory on Thursday, hit 2 home runs and had 3 RBIs Friday. He hit a solo homer in the fourth to give the Diablos (13-5, 4-5) a 2-1 lead. He then hit a two-run homer in the sixth. Jeff Hawkins also homered for Mission Viejo. Jim Enochs hit a home run for Irvine (13-6, 6-3).

El Toro 2, San Clemente 1--Don Goodbrand (5-1) threw a three-hitter, striking out four, for host El Toro (10-9, 5-3). El Toro won the game with two outs in the seventh, as Sean Drinkwater singled home Forest Hayes. San Clemente is 6-11, 2-6.