Droste Helps El Dorado Advance in Tournament

Senior Mike Droste hadn’t pitched in nearly a month, but he gave El Dorado a complete game in the first round of the National Classic tournament and helped the Golden Hawks defeat North Rockland of Thiells, N.Y., 5-3, Tuesday at Cal State Fullerton.

Droste gave up five hits, walked three and struck out six to improve to 1-1 for El Dorado (11-6), which advanced to play Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep, which defeated Clovis, 11-7.

“He threw strikes and changed speeds,” El Dorado Coach Steve Gullotti said. “He hadn’t started since we played [Newhall] Hart in mid-March, but he pitched well.”

Gullotti hasn’t needed to use Droste because Brian Hoff and Justin Angevine have combined for nine victories and an earned-run average of 2.39.

El Dorado spotted Droste a 3-0 lead in the second, but North Rockland pulled even, 3-3, scoring two runs in the top of the fifth. Tim Malley’s RBI double to left-center scored Brian O’Hanlon and Justin Ottman followed with a single to left to score Malley.

“I was a little rusty early,” Droste said. “But then I started to settle down.”

El Dorado got the lead back for Droste in the bottom of the fifth. Brett Marro’s third single of the game moved Joe Turgeon to second and Brian Hoff followed with a bloop single that fell a few feet inside the right-field foul line, allowing Turgeon to score and make it 4-3.

Then Droste shut down North Rockland in the sixth, getting help on a nice defensive play by second baseman Zach Mullinax and getting two of his six strikeouts in the inning.

El Dorado added a run in the sixth when Bryan Jackson hit a double, then pinch-runner Mike Harter scored on two wild pitches.