GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Freshman Leads La Quinta’s Victory

Kenny Granger’s introduction to varsity baseball was a forgettable experience. The freshman left fielder struck out in his first five at-bats for La Quinta High School this month and admitted his self-confidence was shattered.

But Wednesday, Granger looked like a veteran, getting three hits and driving in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning of La Quinta’s 3-1 victory over host Pacifica in the Garden Grove League opener for both schools.

Granger had three of the four hits off Pacifica’s Robert Toth, including a line single to right field that scored pinch-runner Scott Sommerall that broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the seventh inning.

Toth (3-2) allowed only one earned run, struck out eight and didn’t walk a hitter. He has 41 strikeouts in 29 innings and has walked only one batter. But he failed to retire the La Quinta freshman all afternoon.

“Granger hurt his knee in the very first day of practice, and then struck out his first five times,” said Dave Demarest, La Quinta coach. “Most freshmen would have been in the funny farm. But he came through today.”

Demarest certainly needs the help. La Quinta (7-3) has had six players hurt at one time during the season. John Korzen was scheduled to start against Pacifica, but he hurt his knee in a doubleheader last Saturday against Newport Harbor.

“In my 17 years of coaching, I’ve never had so many players banged up,” Demarest said. “Today was the first time I’ve had 14 players suited up.”

La Quinta starter Walter Dawkins (2-1) was as impressive as Toth, striking out nine and walking two. Dawkins kept Pacifica (5-4) off balance with an effective curveball, allowing only one unearned run in the fifth when he threw a wild pitch that allowed Pacifica’s Bob Anderson to score.

Afterward, Pacifica Coach Bill Craven credited the La Quinta hitter’s ability to make contact with two strikes in key situations as the difference in the game.

“They had a freshman drive in the winning run on an 0-2 count,” Craven said. “They slap the ball around and make things happen.”

In other league games:

Kennedy 8, Rancho Alamitos 5--First baseman Min Son hit a bases-loaded triple in the sixth inning that helped Kennedy (3-5) overcome a 5-3 deficit. Brian Faddoul finished up for the save, but Kennedy pitchers walked 14 batters--three fewer than last year’s top pitcher, Pete Montera, did in 98 innings.

Los Amigos 12, Bolsa Grande 6--Visiting Los Amigos (1-5, 1-0) was led by Ethan Siddall, who had two hits including a grand slam in the first inning when Los Amigos (2-6, 1-0) scored eight runs on six hits.

Santiago 11, Garden Grove 3--Robert Jung went two for four with four RBIs, Phillip Gonzales was four for four and scored two runs and Mike Kissell (3-0) went the distance for visiting Santiago (7-4, 1-0).