ORANGE COUNTY ALL-STAR BASEBALL GAME : Dolan Strikes Out First Four to Help South Even Series

The South scored six runs in the sixth inning and held on to defeat the North, 8-4, Tuesday in the 24th Orange County All-Star baseball game at Glover Stadium.

San Clemente’s Ken Dolan, the South’s fifth pitcher, was the most impressive in a game dominated by pitching. Dolan struck out the first four batters he faced with a nasty knuckle-curve. He seemed to lose his rhythm, however, during a delay when catcher Neil Garcia was injured fielding a ball in the dirt.

“For one inning, Kenny Dolan was the best pitcher I’ve seen this year,” said North Coach Doug Elliott of Sunny Hills. “He looked awesome. The South’s pitching was impressive the entire game.”

The North had only four hits and an unearned run going into the ninth inning, but Canyon outfielder Greg Tippin hit a three-run home run to cut the South’s lead to four runs.

The North also loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth before South reliever Randy Karliner struck out Katella’s Dennis Briggs to end the game. The victory let the South tie the series at 12 victories each.

“The first inning (of his stint) was as good as I’ve thrown this year,” Dolan said. “The adrenaline was flowing, but I can’t blame the second inning on the delay. I lost my concentration and got embarrassed.”

Dolan was accepted to the Naval Academy on Tuesday and will report to a prep school in Rhode Island, Mass., in mid-August. He plans to pitch for the Midshipmen, then become a pilot.

Tippin’s long homer to left-center field atoned for a long night in the Southern Section 4-A championship game, where he struck out three times in an 8-3 defeat to Capistrano Valley four days ago. But it was the North’s only hurrah.

The South put the game out of reach in the sixth when it sent 10 batters to the plate and took advantage of two throwing errors by right fielder Steve Friedrich to score six runs.

Reserve third baseman Brett Osborn of La Quinta had the key blow of the inning when he lined a single to right to drive in a pair of runs. Osborn also singled in the eighth inning and was named the game’s most valuable player.

South starting pitcher Derek Fahs of Fountain Valley and relievers Jon Spaulding of Dana Hills, Rob Johnson of El Toro and Chris Watson of Estancia were equally impressive in shutting down the North’s hitters.