EMPIRE LEAGUE BASEBALL : Improbable Katella Now Alone in First
It would have been easy for Katella Coach Tim McMenamin to savor the Knights’ 7-3 victory over El Dorado on Wednesday. But he’s a worrying man, right down to those sorry-looking, worn-out cleats he wears as superstition.
Still, McMenamin should enjoy the moment. The victory left the Knights (12-6-1, 6-2) in sole possession of first place in the Empire League. By handling the Golden Hawks (13-6, 5-3) at El Dorado, Katella ran its unbeaten streak to eight.
“There’s a long way to go still,” McMenamin said. “I’m not going to count on anything.”
Still, the Knights’ fifth consecutive league victory got them a step closer to their first championship since 1981, something that even amazes their coach. After all, this was a team that had only three starters back and was going to depend heavily on two things--unproven juniors and Jaret Wright.
That the juniors were league champions as freshmen and on the junior varsity last season helped. That Wright, a senior, was considered the top prospect in Orange County helped even more. The Knights got a lift from the both Wednesday.
Wright was hardly sharp. He walked seven batters but also struck out nine. Wright (5-1) closed the game with authority, striking out the last two batters with runners on first and second.
“I struggled in the middle innings,” Wright said. “But when you get to the last inning, you can smell a victory. You dig deep and go after them.”
Two juniors put Wright and the Knights in that position. Drake Gustafson had a two-run double and Mike Villegas hit a two-run single to key a six-run fifth inning that gave the Knights a 7-2 lead.
The damage came with El Dorado ace Don Jamieson watching. Jamieson (8-1) took a 2-1 lead into the fifth, but was pulled with one out and a runner on first.
“Don was getting behind on the count and he wasn’t getting the ball over,” El Dorado Coach Steve Gullotti said. “I wanted to get someone in there who would throw strikes.”
Glenn Posien came in and walked three batters in the inning. The pitches he did get over the plate were hit hard. Gustafson’s double gave the Knights a 3-2 lead. Villegas’ single gave them breathing room.
Wright took it from there, striking out five in the final three innings.
In another league game:
Esperanza 3, Los Alamitos 2--Jason Webb singled home two runs with no outs in the bottom of the seventh to give host Esperanza (9-8, 4-5) the victory.
