Sunny Hills Has Offense to Back Up Its Pitching

With the Southern Section 4-A baseball playoff field loaded with talented pitching, Sunny Hills Coach Doug Elliott knows he can’t afford to make many trips to the mound.

Elliott will count on strong performances from starters Chris Looney and Rick Orr as the second-seeded Lancers (19-6) play host to Santa Ana Valley (10-15) in a first-round game Friday.

“We’ve been knocked out in the first round the last two years,” Elliott said. “We’re hoping for a little better showing this time.”

It won’t be easy. Top-seeded Arlington (23-4), third-seeded Gahr and unseeded El Toro and Dana Hills have some of the toughest pitching in the Southern Section.

“Any time you get this many quality teams involved in the tournament, it’s going to be tough,” Elliott said. “But I feel good about our chances because we’re very balanced. We have two good pitchers going for us, and that’s a big help in the playoffs.”

Looney and Orr led the Lancers, victorious in their past five games, to their third Freeway League title in seven years.

“I feel both kids are capable of throwing great games for us,” Elliott said. “They’ve been averaging between seven and nine strikeouts a game.”

Looney, a left-hander, is 7-2 with a 2.12 ERA. Orr, a right-hander, is 5-2 with a 2.96 ERA. Orr also has two saves.

“Hopefully, they’ll give us two solid games in the same week,” Elliott said. “They were fortunate enough to get the job done for us in league.”

Sunny Hills has averaged nearly 10 runs per league game, while giving up three per game.

The offensive help has come from third baseman Tony Martinez, who is hitting .462, and outfielders Mark Veronda and Ken Overby, who have 25 RBIs and 24 runs scored, respectively.

“We’re a good hitting team and we have a great attitude going in,” Elliott said. “And we feel really good about our pitching.”

So do several other teams in the division.

Dana Hills, champion of the South Coast League, is led by senior Jon Spaulding,who pitched a perfect game against Mission Viejo this season.

Spaulding (10-0) has allowed only 12 earned runs in 65 innings for a 1.29 earned-run average. He led the Dolphins to their first league title in 11 years.

Arlington (23-4), champion of the Ivy League, features two of the top pitchers in the division in sophomores Brian Martineau and Tim Carlson.

Carlson is 6-0 with 72 strikeouts and a 1.65 ERA. Martineau is 8-0 with 66 strikeouts and a 0.80 ERA.

Gahr (17-6), the San Gabriel Valley League champion, is counting on the pitching of senior Bobby Post. The right-hander is 11-3 with a 1.07 ERA.

El Toro features two solid pitchers in senior Rob Johnson and sophomore Marc VerWayne. VerWayne is 7-2 with a 2.15 ERA.

Sunny Hills lost to Magnolia in the first round of last year’s playoffs. The Lancers return seven players, and Elliott said the playoff experience is invaluable.

“They’ve been through all this,” he said. “They know what’s expected of them.

“But we’ve got to have a little luck in there, too. It’s just another tournament, but this one is for all the marbles.”

4-A PREVIEW

Defending champion--San Luis Obispo.

Top teams--Arlington (23-4), Dana Hills (19-7), Gahr (17-6), Rio Mesa (17-6), Cerritos (17-7), Northview (18-5), Sunny Hills (19-6), Torrance (20-5).

Dark horses: Capistrano Valley (16-11-1), El Toro (15-11).

Key players: Arlington’s Tim Carlson (pitcher) was 6-0 with 72 strikeouts and a 1.65 earned-run average as a sophomore; Arlington’s Brian Martineau (pitcher) was 8-0 with 66 strikeouts and a 0.80 ERA as a sophomore; Cerritos’ Rickey Cradle (outfielder) was MVP of San Gabriel Valley League as a junior; Cerritos’ Scott Drulias (shortstop) is a three-year letterman; El Toro’s Chad Hoelker (catcher) has signed with Miami and is a pro prospect; Sunny Hills’ Chris Looney (pitcher) is a solid left-hander; Sunny Hills’ Tony Martinez (third baseman) is is hitting .460; Capistrano Valley’s Jonathon Petke (outfielder) signed letter of intent with California last week; Gahr’s Bobby Post (pitcher) is 11-3 with a 1.07 ERA; Dana Hills’ Jon Spaulding (pitcher) threw perfect game against Mission Viejo.

Noteworthy: Dana Hills has several victories over some of Orange County’s top teams, including El Dorado, Sunny Hills, Santiago, and La Quinta. Sunny Hills takes a five-game winning streak into the playoffs.