Fountain Valley Gives Marina Lesson, First Loss, 7-1

Marina had few problems winning nonleague baseball games in the season’s first two weeks, running up a 5-0 record. But it took only one game for Marina’s Sunset League rivals to remind the Vikings that they’re not like everyone else.

Fountain Valley, the two-time defending Southern Section Division I champions, proved the point with a 7-1 victory in the league opener Friday at Marina.

Fountain Valley (4-2, 1-0) used a longtime favorite ploy to break a 1-1 tie--executing a squeeze that scored two of the three runs it got in that inning off Viking starter Justin Lynch.

Fountain Valley loaded the bases with none out on an error and two hits in the fourth inning. The count went to 3-and-1 against Tim Crosby. On Lynch’s next pitch, the runners broke as Crosby directed a perfect bunt toward first base.

Matt Fox scored easily, and as Lynch was throwing to first, Chris Fusillo scored all the way from second.

“We tell our kids that play is good for two RBIs if they bunt the ball successfully,” Fountain Valley Coach Ron La Ruffa said.

Marina Coach Paul Renfrow blamed himself for the play’s success. “They love to do that on a 3-1 count,” Renfrow said. “I should have alerted the kids, but I didn’t.”

Lynch (2-1) labored long and hard for second-ranked Marina, striking out seven and walking one in six innings. But he gave up eight hits, including three doubles and a triple, and all seven runs (four earned).

The Vikings (5-1, 0-1), weren’t up to snuff offensively, either. They managed only three hits and an unearned run, and struck out 10 times against Baron starter Kameron Nielson and reliever Steve Schenewerk, who got the victory.

Schenewerk (1-1) replaced Nielson in the third with two on and none out when Nielson ran into control problems.

“He was a young guy struggling and making young mistakes,” La Ruffa said of Nielson. “So we went with the experience. Schenewerk has been struggling too, being a bit wild in the Loara tournament. But Steve’s been in situations like that, and he did what seniors are supposed to do.”