Pacifica Stays in Title Race by Defeating Bolsa Grande

It’s been a few years since the Garden Grove League race has been a contested one. La Quinta, which has won four straight league titles, always seemed to wrap up the championship before May.

That won’t be the case this season. Pacifica is proving to be a genuine contender. And after Friday’s 7-4 victory over Bolsa Grande, the host Mariners--who beat La Quinta in their first league meeting--find themselves in sole possession of first place. They are half a game ahead of La Quinta (4-1), which they face here next Friday.

Pacifica (11-7, 5-1) took out Bolsa Grande (13-5, 3-2) with a six-run first inning that starting pitcher John Fenoglio made stand up for seven innings to improve his record to 6-1.

The big inning was set up by a key misplay. With one out and Brian Barre on second, Fenoglio slapped a fielder’s choice grounder to short. Joe Francisco threw to third in plenty of time to catch Barre, but the Mariners’ leadoff man jolted the ball out of Sam Baeder’s glove for an error.

Before Matador’s starter Gus De Leon (5-3) could get out of the inning, Jimmy Barndollar and John Dorenbos had punched out RBI singles, and Paul Tessier slugged a grand slam to right, his first.

“At that point [after the error] we went into the tank,” Bolsa Grande Coach Vern Nelson said.

Friday was the first of three tough games in a row for Bolsa Grande, which started off the season hot and is trying to chase the league title. The Matadors have seen Pacifica; now they must take on La Quinta and Los Amigos next week.

“We’re going to find out how good we really are,” Nelson said. “Good teams find a way to regroup after a tough loss.”

Pacifica entertains Cypress in a nonleague game on Monday, but Mariners Coach Mike Willey is already thinking about La Quinta.

“Next Friday will be the pivotal game of the season,” he said. “We will be ready. La Quinta is always solid, but having won the first game our kids know that winning is possible. If we get strong performances, we should be OK.”

In other Garden Grove League games:

Garden Grove 4, Los Amigos 0--Justin Clarkson (2-4) gave up two hits, three walks and struck out one in five innings for Garden Grove (4-10, 2-3). Danny Delatorre was three for three with a double and two runs for the Argonauts.

La Quinta 10, Santiago 1--Gerald Laird hit a grand slam in the fourth inning and a home run in the seventh to lead eighth-ranked La Quinta (17-3, 4-1). Morey Aldrup hit a home run in the fourth for La Quinta.

Jason Garcia (7-1) pitched five scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out four for La Quinta.