HUNTINGTON BEACH – Hagen Danner knew he would have to perform well in order for the Huntington Beach baseball team to knock off top-ranked Orange Lutheran on Saturday afternoon.
Danner did not disappoint, as he hit a pair of home runs while also pitching six solid innings as the No. 4 Oilers handed the Lancers a 7-2 loss in a nonleague game at Huntington Beach High.
The matchup of Huntington Beach (4-0) and Orange Lutheran (2-1) was an early-season showdown between two of the top-ranked teams team in the county and state.
“It feels good and I just want to keep it going,” Danner said. “I felt really good this morning, ate a good breakfast, and I had a feeling it was going to be a really good day.”
Danner went 3 for 3 with four RBI, three of which came on a three-run blast to left field in the third inning.
On the mound, Danner was just as impressive going six innings and striking out six while only allowing one run.
“He always steps up on a big stage, whether it’s on the mound or hitting or behind the plate he usually steps up and he definitely did that today” Oilers Coach Benji Medure said.
The Oilers also got contributions at the plate from Corey Moore and Justin Brodt. Moore hit a solo home run in the fourth inning for a 5-0 lead and Brodt had a pinch-hit RBI in the fifth to make it 7-0.
The Lancers scored a pair of runs in the sixth. Zach Lew went 2 for 3 with one RBI and Jasiah Dixon drove in a run.
Huntington Beach has outscored its first four opponents of the season, 28-3.
Medure said he told his players to keep the victory in perspective.
“Let’s make sure this isn’t the biggest thing we do this year,” he said. “They’re good, they’re a quality program, they do things right and I have a ton of respect for Eric (Borba) and his staff. We played a very good game against a good team but we’re not going to make it bigger than it is, it’s just one win.”
