BASEBALL SOUTHERN SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS : Lindsey’s Hit Gives Marina 5-A Title

Robin Lindsey’s two-run single in the top of the seventh inning gave Marina High School of Huntington Beach a 6-4 victory over Diamond Bar and the Southern Section 5-A baseball title Saturday night at Anaheim Stadium.

It was the first Southern Section baseball for Marina (17-12-1), which entered the playoffs as the third-place team from the Sunset League.

Lindsey’s single came on a full-count pitch with runners on second and third and two out. He was jammed slightly by the pitch but managed to hit it into right-center field.

“It was a fastball,” he said. “I knew it would score two runs when I hit it and there is no better feeling.”

Brain Hegerty (6-3) took the loss in relief and Sean Connors (3-3) got the victory, also in relief.

Diamond Bar errors allowed Marina to score three runs in the third to take a 4-1 lead.

Marc Newfield hit a two-out grounder that went through the legs of third baseman Jim Doyle, scoring a run to tie the score, 2-2.

David Schultz hit a two-hopper to shortstop Tito Quiles, who fumbled the ball and then threw wildly to first, allowing Lindsey to score. Newfield took third while Diamond Bar first baseman Tommy Thompson ran down the errant throw. Newfield took too big a turn at third, but when Thompson threw behind him, Newfield beat the throw home.

Diamond Bar (21-9) came back to it, 4-4, in the bottom of the third. Doyle reached second on a throwing error by third baseman Chad Terry and Jeff Turley followed with a two-run home run to the right of the 362-foot sign in left field.