SOUTHERN SECTION 5-A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP : Gingrich Can’t Get Back in Groove

Josh Gingrich kept reminding himself that pitching is sometimes a sport of survival.

“I figured that if I could get through the fourth inning,” he said, “I could keep going.”

But Gingrich, the Edison High School baseball team’s starter, watched the end of the fourth inning as an outfielder instead of the mound.

Long Beach Millikan tagged him for three hits and four runs in the fourth on the way to an 8-2 victory in the Southern Section 5-A championship game Saturday night at Anaheim Stadium.

After giving up a run in each of the first two innings, Gingrich settled down in the third, retiring Millikan in order.

But he didn’t stay in control for long.

Gingrich, a senior right-hander making his first start since April 23, got shelled in the fourth. With one out and two runners on, Millikan’s Greg Negrete stroked a single to center that scored Pat Thacker from third.

Then Jason Manack threw Gingrich into a panic when he doubled down the third base line, scoring Greg Walbridge, who had walked, and Negrete.

And that was it for Gingrich. He was relieved by Phil Jensen, who gave up an RBI single to Aaron Quinn before retiring the side.

Gingrich (2-3) gave up six runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.

“I just couldn’t keep the ball down in the strike zone,” he said. “I could throw strikes, but I couldn’t keep the ball down.”

Gingrich admitted he was thrown into a tough situation. He hadn’t pitched since April 23, when he was pounded by Fountain Valley.

Staff ace Shawn Allbee had used up most of his pitching eligibility, throwing a complete game in a 4-3 semifinal victory over Diamond Bar. Because Southern Section rules limit pitchers to 10 innings per week, Gingrich was the man on the mound Saturday night.

But Gingrich offered no excuses.

“I had been working in the bullpen once in a while and I felt I could throw strikes,” Gingrich said. “But this just wasn’t my night.”

Did Edison Coach Paul Harrell have any reservations about starting a pitcher who hadn’t thrown in nearly a month?

“I don’t know,” Harrell said. “It’s a tough question. I don’t think it made too much of a difference. He pitched like he always does.

“He challenged hitters. I thought he did a nice job through the first three innings.”

Gingrich’s hitting kept the Chargers (17-13) in the game early.

Gingrich, hitting .337 on the season, scored Matt Harrell with a single to left field in the first inning. He drove in Harrell again in the third with a sacrifice fly, tying the score, 2-2.

“I was really pumped up in the early innings,” Gingrich said. “This was the most incredible thing I had ever done, getting to pitch in Anaheim Stadium. I tried to go out and get everything perfect.”

He just wasn’t pitcher perfect.