The Dana Hills baseball team went from being in control of its game against Canyon on Friday to being on the verge of losing, but the Dolphins came out of it OK.
The Comanches had the potential winning run at the plate, but Jack Sterner recorded a game-ending strikeout to secure a 4-2 victory for the Dolphins in a Loara Tournament game at Canyon High.
“Really hadn’t been nervous at the end of the game like that until now,” Dana Hills coach Tom Faris said. “You have this new group and you’re looking to see how they respond.”
Canyon (2-1) scored two runs in the seventh and put two more runners on with two outs before Sterner halted the rally.
“It’s vital,” Faris said. “Now they know they can win.”
The early portion of the game went much smoother for Dana Hills (1-0), as starting pitcher Hans Crouse held the Comanches scoreless through his five innings of work.
Crouse allowed two hits and struck out seven.
“He’s a top-notch pitcher,” Canyon coach Mike Najera said. “He wasn’t as sharp (as he usually is), but he throws hard and got his breaking ball going.”
Crouse notched a strikeout in each of his five innings and struck out the side in the third.
David Clawson gave Dana Hills the lead, 1-0, in the third with an RBI double off the wall in center field.
The Dolphins extended their lead with three runs in the sixth. Max Mircovich scored on Jeremy Ciolek’s sacrifice fly, and Shane Wilsey drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single.
In the seventh, Canyon had two outs and a runner on third when its rally started to come together. Jarrod Cork drove in a run with a double. Jordan Wisner had a ground-rule double that scored Cork and made it 4-2, but Sterner’s strikeout ended the rally.
“We’re one base hit away from tying this thing,” Najera said. “They have to understand that and use it going forward.”
In the Loara Tournament:
Pacifica 8, Santa Margarita 3: The Mariners (2-1) scored four runs in each of the first two innings against the visiting Eagles (0-1).
Sean Geer, Matt Moslenko and Dominic Zerillo each had two RBI for Pacifica.
