Kennedy Will Take the Sweet With Sour After 10-1 Victory

This is some reward Kennedy High gets for routing Esperanza in the quarterfinals of the Dole national tournament.

The Golden Cougars used two big innings and solid pitching from junior Jon Garland to defeat the Aztecs, 10-1, Tuesday night at Glover Stadium.

Kennedy faces Westminster Christian of Miami in the semifinals tonight at 7 at Cal State Fullerton.

Westminster Christian is the newly christened top-ranked team in the nation by USA Today.

But if the 13th-ranked Golden Cougars (16-2) play anything like they did against Esperanza (8-7), Westminster will have a struggle.

Esperanza’s Brian Snapp (0-4) found himself in trouble almost from the opening pitch in the bottom of the first. The senior right-hander walked three of the first four Kennedy batters.

A two-run single by Garland helped Kennedy to a 3-0 lead before the first out was recorded.

Snapp appeared to work his way out of the jam by picking off Garland and striking out Christian Bartlett, but Nick Intenzo hit a two-run home run over the left-center-field fence for a 5-0 lead.

“We’ve had different guys step up every time,” said Intenzo, a part-time starting outfielder. “It just happened to be my time.”

Garland, who struck out 10 and gave up five hits in six innings, didn’t entirely escape trouble, but at times was dominant.

After striking out the side in the second, Garland (4-1) loaded the bases in the third after hitting two batters. But he escaped the inning with just one run, thanks to a superb play by second baseman Mike Ramirez, who saved a hit with a diving stop of a ground ball.

Garland faced a similar situation in the top of the fifth, again loading the bases with none out.

This time he struck out David Nick and Bo Bryant, then retired David Parrish on a ground ball.

The response left longtime Atzec Coach Mike Curran in awe.

“That kid is something,” Curran said. “To go after our 3-4-5 hitters like that and take them out . . . that was something.”

The Golden Cougars scored five runs in the fifth, capped by a three-run home run by Bartlett.

“That fifth inning woke us up,” Kennedy Coach Manny Alvarado said. “We got up early and that little scare helped us keep the pressure on. I team like Esperanza isn’t just going to roll over for you.”