Overachieving Fountain Valley Is Back in the Title Game

In a postseason in which every other county baseball champion has been dethroned, Fountain Valley will get its chance at history after all.

The two-time defending champions will try to equal Chaffey’s feat of winning three consecutive Division I titles after beating Mater Dei, 4-2, Tuesday at Blair Field. Chaffey won three in a row from 1956 to 1958.

The Barons (24-6) get a rematch with La Puente Bishop Amat. The Lancers return to the title game for the second straight year by defeating Los Angeles Loyola, 7-4, in the first game.

Steve Schenewerk (14-2) pitched three scoreless innings of relief for the victory. Mike Kolbach (10-1) took his first loss despite giving up six hits and striking out seven in a complete game.

Although the title game is scheduled for Friday, it might change. Bishop Amat has its graduation ceremony Friday, and was making inquiries about moving the game to Saturday.

Fountain Valley is agreeable to the change, but Southern Section assistant commissioner Bill Clark said the Division II championship contestants--originally scheduled to play Saturday--would have to agree to move their game up a day.

Quite frankly, Fountain Valley Coach Ron La Ruffa doesn’t care when the game is played. He’s just happy to be there.

“Last year we were expected to win,” La Ruffa said. “This year the kids just overachieved. Just winning the Sunset League was outstanding.”

Mater Dei (24-4), which ended the regular season as the county’s top-ranked team and ranked second nationally in the USA Today poll, absorbed a difficult loss.

“We knew we had to have something emotionally early and we didn’t,” Mater Dei Coach Bob Ickes said.

Fountain Valley broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth with some heady base running.

Tim Crosby walked to begin the rally. And when Robert Alvarez dropped a bunt single down the third-base line, Crosby wasn’t satisfied with second and kept on running.

Mike Hessman saw Crosby take off and threw to third. But the Mater Dei defense had pinched the corners, and back-peddling third baseman Rod Fraser could not handle the throw. Hessman got the error, and Crosby got home plate.

Alvarez worked his way home on a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly by Matt Fox.

The Barons started quickly against Monarch starter Mike Kolbach.

Kevin Burford began the second with a triple to left, and one out later was doubled home by Chad Gonzalez. Fountain Valley appeared headed for a big inning, with runners on first and third and one out, but Kolbach picked off Ryan Clark at first, and got Tim Crosby to fly out to end the inning.