HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL / SOUTHERN SECTION 1-A DIVISION SEMIFINAL : Dashing Oak Park Hustles Into Final With 5-1 Win

Baseball teams do not come any bolder than the one at Oak Park High.

Consequently, the Eagles will boldly go where no Oak Park team has gone before--the Southern Section 1-A Division baseball final--thanks to Tuesday’s 5-1 semifinal victory over visiting Twentynine Palms at Moorpark College.

Oak Park (15-9), which had not won a playoff game in the school’s 12-year history before this season, will play Cerritos, a 3-2 winner over Beaumont, for the championship Friday night at Cal State Fullerton.

The always-attacking Eagles stole four bases--raising their season total to 99--while pressuring the Wildcats into committing five errors.

Finally, confident of victory, Oak Park’s first-year coach, Mike Bolyog, removed ace right-hander Jeff Gibbons after five innings with the Eagles ahead, 5-1. Gibbons (11-1), who struck out five and allowed only two hits at the expense of only 61 pitches, will start Friday, Bolyog said.

“The game plan was to score 14 and just go three (innings) with Jeff,” Bolyog said. “But sometimes plans just don’t work out.”

So Oak Park improvised.

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on consecutive overthrows by pitcher Dan Fowler and shortstop Jason Banda.

Kevin Pryor surprised Fowler with a bunt, advanced to second on the overthrow, then scored on Banda’s overthrow that allowed Eric Pryor to reach second.

In the fifth, with Oak Park leading, 2-1, Kevin Pryor drove a ball to the wall in left-center that easily drove in Gibbons and Mike Michaud from second and third. Stretching the hit into a triple, Pryor scored when Banda’s relay throw skidded into the Oak Park dugout.

The inning began with a single by Gibbons, who immediately stole second and third. Michaud followed with a walk and a stolen base.

In the sixth, Michaud walked, stole second and advanced to third on the overthrow.

“All through the playoffs, that’s the way this team has been,” Bolyog said. “Everyone has contributed. Everyone looks at this ballclub and says Jeff Gibbons is the whole team. That’s wrong.”

Eric Pryor, who has shared shortstop and pitching duties with Gibbons this season, retired the Wildcats in order in the sixth, then allowed two consecutive singles in the seventh with one out. Pryor ended the game, however, with a strikeout and a fly ball to center.

“This team is better with Jeff pitching and that’s what we want to have as much as possible,” Pryor said. “I don’t mind being second.”