THE PREPS : Century League Roundup : El Modena Comes Back, but Foothill Stays in Front

El Modena High School had a chance Tuesday against Foothill to do what it has done so well all season--come back.

Trailing by a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Vanguards had runners waiting in scoring position as relief pitcher Kent Donnelly struck out two and stranded El Modena’s opportunity to tie for first place in the Century League.

Foothill (17-7, 11-3) scored again in the seventh and won, 9-7, to remain in first place, one game ahead of Santa Ana and two games ahead of El Modena (11-10, 9-5).

“They really come right back at you,” Foothill Coach Gerry Sando said. “I was concerned because we got a lead, but they kept chipping away.”

Foothill built an 8-3 lead, but the Vanguards--who last Friday rallied from a 7-1 deficit to beat Santa Ana, 10-8--scored two in the fourth and sixth innnings to get within one run.

Foothill starter Greg Scott, who had a sore shoulder coming into the game, was taken out after giving up two runs in the fourth. He gave up five runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Mike Russell picked up the victory, allowing one hit in two innings. But that one hit was a one-out, ground-rule double to right in the sixth by Cale Shepherd to put runners on second and third.

Enter the hard-throwing Donnelly, who walked Jason Wakefield to load the bases before Graham Brown singled through the right side to drive in two runs. That made the score, 8-7, with runners on second and third.

But Donnelly struck out Andy Morales looking and Mike Vermillion swinging to end the threat.

After a leadoff single by Trey Frank opened up the bottom of the seventh, the Vanguards went quietly as .448 hitter Marcus Esposito, who had walked his four previous at-bats, flied to center to end the game.

Esposito, El Modena’s starting pitcher, survived a shaky start to last until the seventh. Esposito allowed nine runs (seven earned) on 10 hits while striking out two and walking three.

Four hits and an error contributed to Foothill’s four runs in the first inning. In the third inning, Scott hit a bases-loaded double to drive in three runs. Todd Delnoce hit a solo home run to center in the third.

Santa Ana 7, Santa Ana Valley 6 (8 innings)--Octavio Medina had an RBI double with two outs in the top of the eighth for Santa Ana (15-9, 10-4). With out in the eighth, David Fausto bunted for a base hit and was sacrificed to second. Medina then doubled to give the Saints the lead. Phillip Flores had two hits and two RBIs and Bob Reimers had two hits and one RBI for Santa Ana. Victor Rijos (5-3) pitched five innings in relief for the victory. Rijos retired 12 of the last 13 batters he faced. Santa Ana Valley is 1-20 and 0-14.

Villa Park 8, Canyon 7--Danny Allemen had a two-run triple in the top of the sixth to give Villa Park (12-12, 7-7) a 8-7 lead at Canyon. Danny Strapp and Jim Keller each had two hits and an RBI for the Spartans. Chris Pena had three hits for Canyon (9-15, 5-9).