Wolfe Helps No. 1 Servite Defeat No. 2 Mater Dei

Saturday’s game between Servite and Mater Dei, ranked first and second in the county respectively, was supposed to be a makeup date for the scheduled March 15 doubleheader that was rained out.

But the game, won by Servite 5-2 in front of an estimated 1,100 at Cal State Fullerton, was more than that.

“This felt like a playoff preview,” Servite Coach Todd Cook said. “You could feel excitement from the crowd. The players had an added bounce in their step. It was like the first game of the season, that kind of excitement.

“A playoff preview? Definitely,” Monarch Coach Bob Ickes said. “It would not have felt like this in March.”

Cook thought enough of Saturday’s game, and the possible fallout in rankings and potential section Division I playoff seedings that he juggled his rotation so Brian Wolfe, his best pitcher, could face Mater Dei.

Wolfe (11-0) was up to the task, pitching a complete game. He gave up four hits, walked four and struck out 11.

Mater Dei (17-5) had its chances but the Monarchs only scored in the fifth. After loading the bases, Josh Hansen grounded one up the middle that Friar second baseman Ryan Chessman smothered and flipped to shortstop Joe Schaefer for a force out at second. Schaefer’s relay to first was wild, however, and two runs came home.

But by the time Mater Dei scored, Servite (21-2) already had a 5-0 lead even though the Friars got three hits off Monarchs starter Rich Mercado (0-2) and relievers James Webster and Joe Linnert.

Wolfe retired six of the last seven.

“There was no way I was coming out. The game meant too much to me,” Wolfe said. “I know a lot of those guys over there, and they are a very good team. I hope we can play them again.”

Did Cook worry about the Monarchs getting too good a look at Wolfe when the teams could possibly meet again in the Division I playoffs?

“Not at all,” Cook said. “[The Monarchs] know him from fall league ball. And if they’re going to face him again, they will scout him again.”

Until Saturday, the last time the teams met was in 1992, when Mater Dei and Servite were both in the Angelus League. (Mater Dei holds a 28-23-2 lifetime edge.) The Monarchs were league champions that year and 21-4 overall; the Friars had a 3-21 season.

This season, at least for one night, the edge belongs to Servite.

The Friars gave Wolfe a 2-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Ben Francisco and a RBI single from Justin Dunleavy.

They picked up two more in the third, although Mater Dei argued to no avail that one of the runs should not have been allowed because shortstop Pat Manning collided momentarily with Francisco, who was headed to third, while trying to field Mark Goldsmith’s RBI single to center.

Schaefer’s sacrifice fly in the fourth scored Matt Gogan with Servite’s fifth run.

In the Express League:

Rolling Hills Prep 7, Liberty Christian 5--Host Rolling Hills Prep (8-4, 4-2) scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth to break a 4-4 tie. Mike Spagnola had two hits and three RBIs for Liberty Christian (6-12, 2-4).

In a nonleague doubleheader:

Foothill 15-8, Tustin 10-14--Jason Wells hit a grand slam in the first game for Foothill (13-10), which split the games with Tustin (14-9).

In the Southern California gymnastics championships in Torrance:

Brea Olinda wins--Freshman Karen Ditota won the uneven bars (9.40) to help the Ladycats win the team title with 176.10 points. Palos Verdes Peninsula was second with 175.40 points and Aliso Niguel finished fifth at 163.5.

Jamie Moody of Long Beach Millikan won the all-around (38.05) and Ditota was third (37.05).