Marian’s Big Finish Lifts Saddleback

Saddleback’s Jason Marian was starting to get frustrated as Saddleback’s first-round game against Canada College in the state tournament wore on Saturday.

His teammates were piling up hits and runs batted in, but he was left out. Then he got an unexpected chance in the ninth and drove in the winning run with a single as Saddleback beat Canada, 15-14, at Fresno College.

Saddleback started the ninth with a 14-9 lead but Canada rallied for six runs.

Saddleback’s Denny Seybert led off the bottom of the inning with an infield single and went to second when Brian Griffin was hit by a pitch. Seybert was forced at third on a failed sacrifice by Nick Punto. But Marian grounded the first pitch into right field and Griffin raced around third and scored to end the four-hour game. The teams combined for 42 hits.

“That game was crazy but you have got to love it,” said Marian, a freshman from Mission Viejo High. “I was 0 for 4 and I was dying for a hit that last time.”

Levi Groomer had the biggest game for Saddleback, which plays Sacramentoat 3 p.m. today in the second round. Groomer, a sophomore second baseman, hit two home runs and drove in six runs.

Groomer blasted a deep home run in the seventh over the right-field fence that put Saddleback ahead, 11-7.

He also hit a three-run homer over the right-field fence to put Saddleback up, 14-9, in the eighth.

Greg Pines also had a home run in the fifth as Saddleback scored seven times to take a 9-5 lead. Pines’ homer, his 15th, came after Kirk Bolling had been hit by a pitch to give Saddleback a 6-5 lead.

All the offense was needed because Saddleback starter Ryan Poe, who was selected as one of three state players of the year earlier in the day, struggled.

He started with a 14-1 record and 19 consecutive scoreless innings but gave up 15 hits and nine runs, seven earned, in seven-plus innings.

Poe had been hit in the shoulder during batting practice Friday but said that didn’t bother him.

“I was just tight,” he said, “I didn’t have anything, everything was flat and my curveball was [high].”

Poe’s struggles meant Saddleback had to go to its bullpen, using starters Pat Versluis (1 1/3 inning) and Kekoa Colon (1/3), who got the victory, and third baseman Bolling (1/3).