GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : La Quinta Wins on Nine Unearned Runs

La Quinta continues to lead the Garden Grove League baseball standings, but Friday’s 9-1 victory over Bolsa Grande wasn’t quite as easy as Coach Dave Demarest would have liked.

All of the Aztecs’ runs were unearned, and sophomore pitcher Joe Garcia (5-0) got off to a shaky start before four of Bolsa Grande’s six errors opened the door in the fourth inning for the defending champion Aztecs (17-3, 8-0 in league) at Bolsa Grande.

“We took advantage of their mistakes,” Demarest said. “That’s the mark of a good team.”

Garcia walked four and hit a batter in the first two innings, but the Aztecs bailed him out with two inning-ending double plays before capitalizing on four walks, two errors, three hits and a stolen base for seven runs in the fourth inning.

La Quinta scored the first two runs when third baseman Brian Baughman fielded Anibal De La Cruz’s bunt and threw the ball away at third, where shortstop Alex Francisco was covering, allowing Joe Linck and Jim Livernois to score.

After Garcia’s run-scoring fly ball to right field, the Aztecs loaded the bases and scored three runs when Bolsa Grande right fielder Kevin Michini dropped C.J. Livernois’ fly ball. Jim Livernois, who was three for four, drove in the final run with a single to left.

“Bolsa’s been playing great defense, but when they threw that bunt away, they unraveled,” Demarest said. “Livernois’ hit was the only solid hit of the inning.”

La Quinta took advantage of two more Bolsa Grande errors to take a 9-0 lead in the fifth. Corey Fox scored from first on Joel London’s single and a throwing error by the right fielder, with London taking third. London scored on an errant pickoff attempt.

Bolsa Grande (8-9, 4-4) scored on Dan Hendrix’s double in the fifth.