Prep Review : Rain Delay Didn’t Slow Pirkl’s Bat

April showers bring full May schedules: Rain played havoc with prep schedules last week, washing out a full load of games Wednesday and Thursday and returning Saturday to surprise track and field meets and make-up games.

In addition to posing logistical problems for coaches trying to squeeze in games before the playoffs start, a rain postponement can effect the athletes, said Greg Pirkl, Los Alamitos’ catcher.

Pirkl started the week leading the county with a .559 batting average. He had hit safely in 14 of his last 18 games.

But the rain delays began to cause him some anxiety.

“Any hitter gets in a rhythm,” Pirkl said. “I’ve had so much confidence. I feel I can hit anybody. But (with the rain) I come out and don’t know if I’m going to play or not. It effects the mental aspect of the game.”

But Pirkl isn’t going to get much sympathy from other hitters in the Empire League. Though Los Alamitos lost the one game it played--11-9 to El Dorado--Pirkl went 3 for 4 with three RBIs.

What’s all this balk?: With 200 balks called in the majors before Saturday’s games, baseball writers have been calling it the year of the balk.

And, as the El Dorado and Los Alamitos baseball teams have shown, it’s also the year of the balk in high school.

The top two-ranked teams in the Orange County Sportswriters’ Assn. top 10 poll have suffered from balks in their two meetings this season.

In the first game on March 23, three balks were called. Los Alamitos won the game in the eighth inning, 11-10, when a bases-loaded balk was called against Kent Kieffert.

“There certainly are (more balks) being called against us (than in past seasons),” said Steve Gullotti, El Dorado coach.

“I think it’s a carry-over from the Major Leagues. More attention is being drawn to the pitcher.”

Friday, with top-ranked El Dorado trailing, 8-4, and two runners on in the sixth inning, Los Alamitos reliever Tony Muser was called for a balk, which scored a run. In the seventh inning, after El Dorado scored three times to make it 8-8, Muser again balked to score the go-ahead run. El Dorado eventually won, 11-9.

Stay tuned. The final meeting of the regular season for the Empire League rivals is set for Tuesday at El Dorado.

Accolades: Praise continues to be heaped on Edison’s track and field star Kaleaph Carter. The latest comes from Edison principal Jack Kennedy, who devoted a page of this month’s “Principal’s Newsletter” to recognize Carter, whose shot put mark of 63-feet 2 3/4-inches is the best in the nation this season.

“What is a Kaleaph?” Kennedy asked his readers. “Could it be a bird or a plane? Does it breathe fire? . . . There aren’t many of them. In fact, we at Edison have the only one in Orange County. . . . Teachers smile when they hear his name. Coaches giggle at the thought of having two of them. . . . You should see a Kaleaph move. Ours requires little effort. Kaleaphs move faster than similar objects, put things farther and cause discs to travel long distances. . . . This guy is gentle, kind and caring. He would rather pick up an opponent than knock one down. He doesn’t believe classes are for cutting. . . . He was probably one of the first in his class to learn a lasting truth--that hard work, dedication, loyalty and perseverance in almost all cases will bring a person success.”

How long was that streak?:

When the Canyon boys’ tennis team defeated Foothill last Tuesday, at Canyon, it was a momentous occasion. It marked the first time in a long time that Foothill had lost a league tennis match.

It was definitely the first league loss for Foothill Coach Jill Beck, who has coached the team for five years, and both Beck and Canyon Coach Dave Hamel thought the streak began in 1973.

But Canyon’s victory didn’t come easily. With the teams tied, 9-9, Canyon’s No. 2 doubles team was facing Foothill’s No. 1 team in the day’s final match. Canyon’s team of Scott Page and Craig Moore already had lost to the No. 2 doubles team, 2-6, and to the No. 3 doubles team, 1-6.

“It (the two previous losses) was a combination of a little intimidation and a lot of nerves,” Hamel said. “I just told them (Page and Moore) they had to be more aggressive.”

And they were. Page and Moore played Foothill’s top doubles team to a tiebreaker and won the tiebreaker, 7-4, giving the Comanches the victory.

Canyon (14-0 overall, 4-0 in league play) is enjoying its best season. Canyon will play Foothill again May 5 at Foothill.

Add Foothill: Spectators at Saturday’s Foothill Invitational swim meet--one of the few prep events that was not rained out--might have noticed that alongside each event listed in the program was an acknowledgement of companies or individuals who payed money to “sponsor” the race. For a $75 contribution one could sponsor the 200-yard freestyle, the 100-yard breaststroke, or--for a real bargain--the 400-yard freestyle relay. The private donations are used in the development of the swimming program, according to booster club officials, who coordinates the donations.

Prep Notes

Roger Stahlhut, who resigned as Anaheim High School’s football coach after the 1986 season, has retired from teaching at the school. Stahlhut, who graduated from Anaheim in 1962, coached football for 20 years and was the Colonist’s coach for 10 years. He compiled a 52-60-2 record and guided his team to the playoffs nine times. A reception honoring Stahlhut will be held May 9, at the Brookhurst Community Center at 7 p.m. For more information telephone 999-3728.