SMALL SCHOOLS QUARTERFINALS : Calvary Chapel Steps Up to Bat to Carry On a Tradition

Calvary Chapel of Santa Ana has had a successful school year in just about every sport, including football, basketball and wrestling. Now, the Eagle baseball team is following form.

Friday afternoon, Eagle pitcher Danny Fuller outdueled Flintridge Prep’s Paul Otto for a 2-1 victory in a Southern Section Small Schools division quarterfinal at TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa. The victory advanced Calvary Chapel to Tuesday’s semifinal against Pasadena Poly, a 13-2 winner over Hesperia Christian Friday.

Fuller (9-1), a senior right-hander, struck out nine, walked four and yielded only three hits in seven innings. Otto (6-3), a 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior right-hander, was equally effective, striking out nine and walking four while giving up six hits.

“He (Fuller) pitched well, and we needed him to pitch well,” said Eagle Coach Dale Walker. “He has a couple of curves and a split-finger fastball. Today his pitches were dropping real well.”

Flintridge Prep (11-8) managed to get to Fuller for its only run in the first inning when Casey Mosso walked and took third on catcher Armen Kajberouni’s single to right. Otto staked himself to a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly deep to right.

After Fuller walked Ben Moran, the Rebels threatened again with runners on first and third, but an attempted double steal misfired, ending the inning when Kajberouni was thrown out at the plate.

Calvary Chapel (14-7) finally got to Otto in the bottom of the fourth with the help of a couple of Rebel errors.

Eagle catcher Chance King walked and took second on Otto’s errant pickoff attempt at first. Bryce Oakland doubled over left fielder John Checa’s head, scoring King. Oakland scored the winning run from second when shortstop J.D. Calsyn overthrew first on a routine grounder by Chase Lubbock.

Flintridge Prep had runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings. The most serious threat came in the sixth, when Otto doubled and took third on a wild pitch. But he was stranded when Fuller struck out Moran for the final out.

In another Small Schools quarterfinal:

Linfield Christian 3, Southern California Christian 1--Richard Hunter (8-0) pitched a two-hitter, struck out 11 and walked one for the victory at home.

Mike Felton had both hits for Southern California Christian (15-6). Scott Williams (10-3) struck out four and gave up six hits for SCC. Defending champion Linfield Christian (18-1), which has only one loss in two years, extended its winning streak to 14.