Eagles’ Big Inning Leads to 9-4 Victory : Prep baseball: El Segundo scores seven runs in the third to defeat rival St. Bernard.

In 1989 and 1990 the Camino Real League baseball championship came down to the final inning of the final regular-season game between El Segundo and St. Bernard.

Two years later, there was nothing more than bragging rights on the line, because El Segundo is now in the San Fernando League and St. Bernard is in the Mission League.

But it would be hard to persuade either team that Thursday’s showdown at Loyola Marymount was just another nonleague game.

Both teams used their top pitchers, but it was El Segundo’s Matt Gangawere who came out on top as the Eagles prevailed, 9-4.

Gangawere gave up two earned runs in pitching a complete game, scattering seven hits and striking out seven to improve to 5-0.

El Segundo (9-1), the top-ranked team in the Southern Section 3-A Division, scored seven runs on five hits in the third inning against St. Bernard starter Chris Steinbacher. The Eagles were aided by a throwing error by second baseman Paul Lopez on a potential double-play grounder.

The Vikings (7-5-1) also botched a potential double play in the sixth inning, leading to the Eagles’ final run.

“If we make those two double plays, this is a whole different ballgame,” St. Bernard Coach Bob Yarnall said. “Those were tailor-made double plays. If you can’t make that play, it’s going to be hard for you to win.”

Chris Feeny, Jeff Poor and Tracy McAndrews hit consecutive run-scoring doubles in the big third inning for El Segundo, which is ranked third in the state. Poor was two for four with two runs batted in.

Although El Segundo opened its San Fernando League season Wednesday with an 18-1 victory over Bell-Jeff, Eagle Coach John Stevenson saved his ace for Thursday.

“We could probably walk to each other’s school, we’re so close together,” said Stevenson in explaining the rivalry.

“I’m glad he threw Gangawere at us,” Yarnall said. “I would have felt cheated if he didn’t.”

The Vikings have more balance on their pitching staff, with Robert Cox and Tony Palka joining Steinbacher, but Steinbacher has been Yarnall’s most consistent pitcher.

But the senior right-hander may not have faced a team that can hit like the Eagles.

He allowed only an infield single and struck out three in the first two innings, but in the third, Lopez’s error appeared to rattle him.

After Ben Anderson singled, Feeny, Poor and McAndrews followed with doubles. Lawrence Morris and Scott Sutherland added RBI singles, and by the time David Scanlan popped to second to end the inning, El Segundo had sent 11 batters to the plate.

St. Bernard got two runs back in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles by Lopez and Gabe Valdivia. They picked up single runs in the fourth and fifth, but they were clearly frustrated by the third-inning collapse, so much so that third baseman Phil Ruhl was ejected for arguing a called third strike in the fifth inning.

Westchester 9, Fairfax 1--The Comets improved to 5-0 in Coastal Conference play with their eighth consecutive victory.

Tremayne Noles drove in two runs with two triples, Robert Jarman knocked in three more and Tim Taylor pitched five innings to earn the victory.