PREP ROUNDUP : Mierendorf Leads Servite in His First Start of Season

Servite High School pitcher Cliff Mierendorf, making his first start of the season, allowed only four singles in the Friars’ 2-1 Angelus League baseball victory over Bishop Amat Saturday.

Servite (8-4, 2-2 in league) continued the first-round trend of home teams winning in the five-team league. Mater Dei is the only team in the league that has won a road game, beating Bishop Montgomery last week.

Servite scored both its runs in the first inning by taking advantage of J.D. Romero’s wildness. Romero (2-2) hit a batter, threw two wild pitches and also committed two balks in the inning. As a result, Witt Haydon and Neal Yamamoto scored without the benefit of a hit.

Bishop Amat (6-5, 2-2) scored in the sixth by getting two of the four hits that Mierendorf (2-2) allowed. Bishop Amat also threatened in the seventh, but diving catches by outfielders Chad Rolish and Yamamoto preserved the lead.

Servite Coach Mike McNary had planned to use Mierendorf as a relief pitcher this season, but the right-hander had problems adjusting to the new role.

“Cliff was never comfortable as a relief pitcher,” McNary said. “He got a little tired at the end of the game, but I thought he pitched a fine game. Both pitchers dominated. . . . the four hits was our lowest total of the year.”

Servite will play Mater Dei in a home-and-home series on Wednesday (at Servite) and next Saturday, and McNary anticipates the home team will continue to have an advantage.

“There’s a lot of parity in this league, and everybody seems to have one good pitcher,” he said. “I think an 8-4 record might be good enough to win the league.”