Lederman Stays Hot for El Camino Real : Prep baseball: Conquistadore infielder knocks in three runs in a 6-2 victory over Granada Hills.

Greg Lederman’s theory on hitting is as rudimentary as wearing blackout under the eyes, rubbing dirt on the bat handle, receiving the occasional splinter in the back pocket.

Lederman learned a lot about the latter in his first two seasons on the El Camino Real High varsity, during most of which he sat. So if it sounds as though there is a parallel between his ideas on hitting and just plain getting to take some turns at-bat, that’s understandable.

“I just want to put the bat on the ball,” Lederman said. “I just want to put it in play.”

In his first season as a starter, Lederman has done much more than make contact. Through five games, the 5-foot-6 junior infielder has hit safely in 10 of 16 at-bats and leads the team with a .625 average. Lederman was at it again Tuesday at Granada Hills, banging out two hits and driving in three runs to lead El Camino Real to a 6-2 victory in a Northwest Valley Conference game.

“He’s hitting the ball real well,” El Camino Real Coach Mike Maio said in what might be the biggest understatement of the young season. “He has a lot of desire and he’s very intense. He’s learned how to use that to his advantage.”

El Camino Real--which tied Granada Hills, 3-3, on Tuesday--had to work through a disadvantage too. Senior right-hander Pat Treend (3-0) was uncharacteristically wild, walking seven in five innings while striking out seven and allowing five hits. Treend, it seems, was suffering from a sinus problem.

Wobbly or not, Treend pitched four scoreless innings and several times was timed by a radar gun at 85 m.p.h.

Yet Treend’s stint lasted longer than planned. Junior right-hander Sean Boldt took the mound in the bottom of the fifth, started his warmup tosses . . . and was sent back to the bench by the plate umpire. Maio had forgotten to list Boldt on the lineup card.

With his team leading, 5-0, Treend trudged back to the mound and gave up a two-out single to Jon Condos. Gabe Padilla then drilled a run-scoring triple to right-center. It was the first earned run allowed by Treend in 20 1/3 innings.

“My brain jiggled every time I let go of the ball,” Treend said. “I was worn out by the fourth or the fifth.”

El Camino Real (4-0-1) scored three times in the first inning, and quickly at that. Herman Merchan walked, stole second and scored on Jeff Marks’ single to right. Marks moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Ryan McGuire’s single to center. Two outs later, Lederman slammed a single into left to drive home McGuire, who had stolen second and moved to third on a wild pitch by Highlander starter Gabe Miller (1-2).

Lederman drilled a run-scoring triple into the gap in right-center to give El Camino Real a 4-0 lead in the third. Lederman added a sacrifice fly in the seventh for his 11th RBI in five games.

“It seems like I haven’t hit them very hard, but they’ve been dropping,” Lederman said. “And every time I come up, runners are in scoring position.”

Of course, the key part of this phrase is every time I come up .

“I’m just glad to be getting to play,” Lederman said. “I just want to come out here and win some games.”