PREP BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Title in National Tournament Comes Down to Esperanza, El Dorado

Funny how Empire League rivals Esperanza and El Dorado high schools play host to a national baseball tournament featuring 16 teams from four states and then wind up playing for the championship.

But then, why not? Esperanza and El Dorado won semifinal games in the Upper Deck Classic on Thursday at Glover Stadium in convincing fashion to advance to tonight’s title game at 7. The winner will likely be voted the county’ top-ranked team in the first Orange County Sportswriters’ Assn. poll Tuesday.

Esperanza (10-1) got a big lift from pitcher Keith McDonald’s two-run homer in the first inning and went on to a 6-1 victory over La Quinta. Esperanza clinched the victory with three unearned runs in the fourth inning.

El Dorado (9-2) also got a home run from a pitcher, Tyson Dowdell, in the first inning that carried the Golden Hawks to a 6-5 victory over Tustin, the county’s top-ranked team in the preseason.

“The best teams in the county are playing here so the winner should be the No. 1 team,” said Mike Curran, Esperanza coach. “Hopefully, we can play our game tomorrow. They beat us (3-2) in league because we played their game.”

Esperanza had at least one county coach ready to cast his ballot for it after semifinal play. Dave Demarest, La Quinta coach, says Esperanza is No. 1.

“They pitch, hit, play defense and don’t make mistakes,” Demarest said. “They can beat you in so many ways. I was hoping to keep it close until the fifth or sixth, but that dropped fly ball killed us.”

La Quinta left-fielder Derek Kato misplayed Esperanza’s Erickson Dumaual’s fly ball down the left-field line in the fourth inning and Esperanza went on to three unearned runs. La Quinta catcher Kenny Granger’s throwing error also allowed a run to score in the inning.

Still, Demarest was satisfied after his team split two games in 10 hours against Fountain Valley (13-2) and Esperanza.

“It’s tough enough playing Fountain Valley or Esperanza, but on the same day?” Demarest said. “And we get Tustin tomorrow.”

Esperanza starter Keith McDonald went six solid innings and is expected to pick up the slack for ace Shade Summers, who broke his right hand last week and is out for the season.

In the other semifinal:

El Dorado 6, Tustin 5--The Golden Hawks scored all of their runs in the first two innings off Tustin ace Bill Courtney. El Dorado starting pitcher Tyson Dowdell hit a three-run homer over the 342-foot sign in left-center in the first inning for El Dorado (9-2).

Tustin (8-3) rallied for two runs in the fourth inning when it loaded the bases with nobody out but failed to score more when its best hitter, Shawn Green, popped out and Zach Echols grounded out to end the threat.

Tustin’s designated hitter, Anthony Gonzales, hit a homer to trim El Dorado’s lead to 6-4 and reliever Brett Tomko was brought in to pitch. Tomko allowed a run-scoring single to Ben Munoz in the sixth inning and then struck out two of the three batters he faced in the seventh to earn the save.

El Dorado reached the title game despite playing without injured catcher Brian Loyd. Reserve Brett Hunt had winning hits in two opening-round victories.