Southern Section Baseball Playoffs : 4-A : Mission Viejo Can’t Stop South Hills’ Giambi

Mission Viejo High School went through four pitchers trying to put the clamps on South Hills’ hitters in a Southern Section 4-A quarterfinal-round game Friday at Mission Viejo.

All but one of them failed to stop South Hills shortstop Jason Giambi.

Giambi hit a two-run homer in the first inning, singled and scored in the third and hit a solo homer in the fifth before finally popping out in the seventh.

He led South Hills to a 6-4 victory and a berth in the semifinals Tuesday. South Hills (19-7) advances to play Hart. Mission Viejo ends its season 20-7.

After Jeff Pointer singled, Giambi launched a drive high over the right-field fence for a 2-0 lead.

Giambi helped chase Mission Viejo starter Eric Cedarstaff in the third. He singled and scored on Clay Tellers’ homer to right, giving South Hills a 4-0 lead.

A two-run homer by Mission Viejo’s Jeff Clark in the bottom of the third cut the lead to 4-2.

But Giambi made sure the Diablos didn’t get any closer. He homered with one out in the fifth. Mike Schneider followed with a single and pitcher Jeff Hawkins exited.

Corey Lidle singled to score pinch-runner Jim Collins and it was 6-2.

Mission Viejo’s third pitcher, Troy Kopp, was thrown out of the game in the sixth for throwing behind Kevin Lidle. Mission Viejo Coach Ron Drake also was thrown out for arguing.

“(The home plate umpire) told me they knew Troy was throwing at him because of the way he looked at him, that’s what he told me,” Drake said. “I said you’re full of baloney. That’s when he threw me out. I didn’t feel it was warranted one bit.”

Steve Evans, pitcher No. 4, fared the best, holding South Hills scoreless the rest of the way.

South Hills pitcher Aaron Small was masterful throughout. Entering the seventh inning, the only hits he had allowed were Clark’s home run and a bad-hop single by Hawkins in the sixth.

Small struck out the first two batters in the seventh and had two strikes on pinch-hitter Steve Rooten. But Rooten hammered Small’s next pitch over the right-field fence.

Eric Ekdahl, the next batter, followed with a homer to left to close the gap to 6-4. But Small got Jeff Metz to ground out to end the game.

“(Small) didn’t have his good stuff today,” South Hills Coach Jim Bastion said. “He had a bad blister on his big toe after the second inning.”

It didn’t seem to bother him, though. Small gave up four hits, two walks and had five strikeouts.