SOUTH COAST LEAGUE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Mater Dei’s Harris Tosses No-Hitter, Beats San Clemente

Adam Harris last experienced this feeling at 9, but candy and cartoons dominated his thoughts as much as baseball back then.

So when the Mater Dei senior right-hander clenched the ball in his glove and stepped on first base for the final out, he fully appreciated the accomplishment this time.

Harris pitched a no-hitter Friday in the first-place Monarchs’ 11-0 rout of host San Clemente in a South Coast League game, enabling Mater Dei to sweep the season series.

“It’s been awhile for me,” Harris said. “All this year I’ve taken no-hitters into the third and fourth (innings), so it felt really good to finally get one.”

The no-hitter is the first of the season for Mater Dei (11-5-1, 6-1 in league), which is alone atop the league standings and ranked fifth in the county.

Only a first-inning walk to Robert Frith denied Harris (5-0) a prefect game. Still, though, Harris faced the minimum of 21 batters because Monarch catcher Matt Treanor nailed Frith at second on a steal attempt. Harris, who entered the game with the county’s No. 2 earned-run average, lowered his ERA to 0.41.

Harris ended the game by receiving a soft toss from first baseman Tim Wetzel, who fielded Frith’s ground ball to his right. Harris struck out four.

“All my pitches were on; fastball, curveball, slider,” Harris said. “But I just want to say thanks to (shortstop) Erik (Mattern) because he saved it for me.”

Mattern made a spectacular defensive play in the fifth inning to rob Mike Wood of a hit. He ran nearly to the lip of the outfield grass, jumped high to field the ball on a hop, did a 180-degree spin and fired a perfect throw to first that just got Wood for the third out.

“I didn’t even know he was throwing (a no-hitter),” Mattern said. “I got back to the dugout and everyone was patting me on the back and congratulating me. That’s when I knew.”

Said Monarch Coach Bob Ickes: “It was the play of the game.”

Mercifully, San Clemente is done with Mater Dei--at least for the regular season.

The Tritons (11-6, 4-3) were routed by the Monarchs on Wednesday, 21-8, and lost the season’s first meeting, 6-0.

San Clemente entered the week in a three-way tie for first, but now finds itself in third and looking up at the Monarchs and Dana Hills (10-7-1, 5-2).

In other league games:

Dana Hills 13, El Toro 4--Tyson Loreque hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh for Dana Hills (10-7-1, 5-2). Catcher Scott Maynard went two for two with four runs batted in and Mark Richardson went four for five.

Seth Etherton pitched a complete game to improve to 6-0 on the season. Etherton gave up four hits, striking out five and walking two.

Capistrano Valley 5, Mission Viejo 1--Brandon Puffer hit a home run in the third for Capistrano Valley (12-5, 3-4). Peter Zamora (4-1) pitched a complete game, striking out nine and walking one. Brian Harnetiaux went two for two with a triple and an RBI.