PREP BASEBALL : Freeway League : Fullerton Makes It Two in a Row Over La Habra, 9-3, Moves Within Game of Lead

A week ago, Fullerton High School trailed La Habra by three games in the Freeway League baseball race and didn’t appear to be ready to mount a challenge.

However, Fullerton’s 9-3 victory over La Habra Friday at Fullerton was the Indians’ second impressive win over league-leading La Habra.

And it pulls Fullerton (16-7 overall, 9-4 in league play) within a game of the Highlanders (14-7, 10-3) with a week left in the regular season. Fullerton defeated La Habra, 6-0, on Wednesday.

“It’s not over by a long shot,” Fullerton Coach Martin Luczaj said. “We’ve beaten La Habra and (third-place) Sonora twice.”

And for that the Indians can thank strong pitching from senior Greg Wilber and hitting from Collin Milligan, Jeff Manship and Bill Reicks.

Wilber went six innings, striking out 6 and giving up 6 hits and 3 runs. He left after he gave up a two-run homer to Chris Singleton in the seventh. Kurt Hindman came on to get the final three outs.

Milligan, a senior first baseman, went 3 for 4 with 3 singles. Manship, a senior left fielder, had 2 doubles and scored 2 runs. Reicks, a senior shortstop, was 2 for 4, scored 2 runs and had a 3-run homer that turned the momentum in favor of Fullerton in the third inning.

La Habra led, 1-0, when starting pitcher David Stevens singled home Mike Morris from second base in the first inning.

But Fullerton countered with a four-run inning in the third, highlighted by Reicks’ homer over the left-field fence.

Rene Arias led off the third with a double. Vince Chavira followed with an infield single, with Arias going to third on the play.

Manship knocked in Arias with a sacrifice fly to right to tie it at 1-1.

Milligan then singled to left, and after designated hitter Lee Green struck out, Reicks hit his home run.

Fullerton sent eight batters to the plate.

The Indians added two more in the fourth, taking a 6-1 lead, as Manship doubled in Arias and Milligan singled home Manship. Fullerton added three more in the sixth for a 9-1 lead.

“We strung together some hits today,” Luczaj said. “Last week, we had the bases loaded a couple of times and couldn’t get the hits. The home run by Bill Reicks really ignited us.”

Wilber stayed out of trouble until the seventh when Rob Utz had a leadoff single to left and Singleton followed with a long drive over the left-field fence.

Singleton, who singled in the fifth, was the only La Habra player to have more than one hit.

In the fifth, Singleton got to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a fly to right by Kevin Capps. After Tim Moore walked, though, Morris struck out, ending La Habra’s threat.

Sonora 14, Buena Park 3--Mitch Kaylor had 4 hits, including 2 home runs, and 4 RBIs to lead Sonora (13-11, 8-5) at Buena Park. Kevin Cook had 2 hits, including a home run, and 4 RBIs, and Kyle Schaetzel had 3 hits and 2 RBIs. Buena Park is 1-16, 0-13.

Sunny Hills 5, Troy 2--Ryan Frace went all seven innings, striking out 8 batters, for host Sunny Hills. Mike McGuire was 3 for 4 and John Montgomery was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs for Sunny Hills (11-12, 7-6). Troy is 7-13, 4-9.