BASEBALL / DOLE BIG WEST TOURNAMENT : Marina Steps Up by Beating Lakewood

Marina’s baseball team, at a standstill in the early part of the season, gave itself a little shove heading back into Sunset League play.

The Vikings completed a four-game run through the Dole Big West Tournament with a 6-5 victory over Lakewood in the championship game Thursday night at Windrow Park.

“We’re going to be fine,” Marina catcher Craig Wilson said. “This is just what we needed.”

The Vikings (13-5) lost their last league game in the final inning to Edison, dropping their league record to 2-2, but they seem to have put that behind them.

The victory over Lakewood was particularly satisfying, as Eric Turner pitched out of a two-on, one-out jam in the seventh to earn the save.

“That was a shot in the arm because we had lost in the last inning to Edison,” Coach Paul Renfrow said. “It was the type of game we needed.”

The Vikings got a lot things they needed, including a solid performance from Brian Sailor, their top pitcher last season.

Sailor was 5-2 in 1993, but has pitched in only one game this season because of an arm injury. Sailor (1-0) wobbled at times, giving up five hits and walking two in four innings. But was effective overall. He struck out seven and gave up four runs--one was unearned and two others scored on a bad-hop single.

“To get 95 pitches out of Brian was tremendous,” Renfrow said. “He’ll be able to give us some good outings when we get back into league.”

Turner, who was called up from the junior varsity for the tournament, relieved Sailor in the fifth and waded through the Lakewood lineup. He made only one mistake, a 1-1 fastball that Luke Fitzpatrick hit over the right-field fence.

Marina scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Vikings sent 10 men to the plate, as Lakewood’s Tony Martin struggled.

Martin walked two batters and hit two in the inning.

Wilson got it started with a run-scoring single--his 10th RBI of the tournament. A second run scored when left fielder Eric Holguin misplayed the ball.

Nate Newton and Sailor had RBI doubles in the inning.

Martin, the Lancers’ No. 4 starter, was gone after the second inning. Ryan Bresnahan relieved and got control of the game.

The Lancers chipped away at the Marina lead, with a little luck and a little help.

The Vikings made two errors in the second, which led to an unearned run. The Lancers got three runs in the third, two when Steve Immel’s ground ball took a funny hop over the shoulder of shortstop Mike Groh.

But the Lancers also wasted plenty of opportunities. They stranded 10 runners. Lakewood left the bases loaded in the second.

Bresnahan, who pitched three hitless innings, appeared to tire in the sixth. He gave up two hits--sandwiched around a wild pitch--including an RBI single by Groh.

In the consolation final:

Ocean View 9, Long Beach Millikan 0--Sophomore Cory Carr pitched a four-hit shutout, striking out three for the Seahawks (8-6).

Also for Ocean View, Jack Fresca had two doubles and three RBIs and Kevin Johnson had two hits and one RBI.

In the third-place game:

Irvine 7, Servite 2--The Vaqueros scored three runs in the sixth inning to take a 6-1 lead. Eric Sobek homered, Geoff Noisy tripled, David Hongslo doubled and Charlie Heath pitched a six-hitter for Irvine.

In a consolation game:

Capistrano Valley 4, Woodbridge 2--Paul Day pitched a complete game for the Cougars (10-5). Day (2-0) struck out four and did not allow a walk and Gabe Payne was two for three with one RBI for the Cougars. Woodbridge is 6-10.