El Dorado Has the Grit to Win, 3-2

El Dorado had to wait an extra day before their quarterfinal game with Memphis (Tenn.) Christian Brothers in the National Classic baseball tournament. And the Hawks had to go down to the final out before they won.

In a game with more grit than glamour Wednesday at Mater Dei, El Dorado edged Christian Brothers, 3-2, to move in to the semifinals.

Most of the grit was supplied by the starting pitchers, E.J. Ochoa of El Dorado and Chris Morgan of Christian Brothers.

Both had to survive rocky first innings. Both fought their control--Morgan walked six (two intentionally) and Ochoa walked four. And both had to escape bases-loaded jams, Morgan in the first and seventh, and Ochoa in the fourth.

But both effectively scattered the hits--Morgan gave up four singles while Ochoa gave up six hits, one a double--and each was able to get strikeouts at critical points. Morgan struck out six Hawks, and Ochoa eight, including Purple Wave third baseman Travis Chapman on a called third strike to end the game.

“For me it took a while to figure the umpire’s strike zone, because I was throwing the ball all over the place,” said Ochoa, who improved to 2-0. “I was sure glad to see that last strike.”

“What a game to watch, wasn’t it?” said El Dorado Coach Steve Gullotti. “It was the kind of game where you needed that one key break or key hit to break the game open, and neither team could get it.”

El Dorado (12-1) won because it was able to make the m few opportunities presented.

The Hawks eked out a pair of two first-inning runs on an error by Christian Brothers’ first baseman Jay Fik and a bases-loaded walk to J.P. Frid. Their final run was scored on an infield single by Mark Wade.

The Purple Wave (14-2)--forced to postpone Tuesday’s game after nine players suffered from food poisoning Monday night--scored in the third on a sacrifice fly by Peter Lucchesi, and in the seventh on an infield grounder by Fik.

Christian Brothers’ Coach Buster Kelso said the loss was the first ever for Morgan (3-1) on the varsity level.

“He was 7-0 as a junior last year, 11-0 in summer league and 3-0 this year,” Kelso said. “He’s a great competitor.”

In the semifinal game:

El Dorado 9, Mater Dei 4--Third-ranked El Dorado scored three runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to topple second-ranked Mater Dei in the semifinal game. Jordan DeLong (5-1) held the Monarchs to four runs in the first five innings before Jerry Miller pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh for the Golden Hawks (12-1).

In a consolation game:

Canyon 18, Massillon (Ohio) Washington 3--Top-ranked Canyon (11-2) bounced back from their loss Monday behind Brad Schaefer’s four hits, including a double, a grand slam and five RBIs. Jason Corapci had three hits and three runs for the Comanches who will face Casa Grande (Ariz.) in the consolation championship at 2:30 p.m. today at El Dorado High.