DANA POINT — Crooked numbers don’t show up much on scoreboards against pitchers like Dana Hills junior Hans Crouse.
Teams have to chip away at someone like him. Poke some singles, call sacrifice bunts and use the hit-and-run.
In other words, teams have to do exactly what No. 3 Aliso Niguel did in its 8-0 win at Dana Hills in a South Coast League contest Thursday afternoon.
The Wolverines (7-3, 2-1) hit five singles against the USC commit. They perfectly executed two hit-and-runs, which led to two runs. They routinely laid down bunts, they scored on a sacrifice fly, they capitalized on walks, they capitalized on errors.
They played small ball.
“It’s a team game,” Aliso Niguel coach Craig Hanson said. “We tell guys it doesn’t matter if you hit (first) or (ninth) or (fourth), if the time comes up when you’re going to have a to execute a sacrifice bunt or a hit-and-run, you’ve got to get it done.
“I’m proud of our guys. After having a tough loss against Tesoro and not playing very well earlier in the week, it was a great rebound for us.”
Crouse (2-1, 1.29 ERA) allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out six in his five innings.
Zak Nocon (5-0, 2.16 ERA) started opposite Crouse and went the distance. The senior, who throws more junk than speed, allowed three hits and an intentional walk to go along with five strikeouts.
He controlled the game and threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of the 26 batters he faced.
“(Nocon’s) got good command of all of his pitches and we were undisciplined on some of those pitches, and we paid for it,” Dana Hills coach Tom Faris said.
Aliso Niguel inflated the score with five runs (three earned) in the seventh off Kayl Cota (0-0, 1.80 ERA).
Brandon Reily knocked in two runs that inning on a bases-loaded single. Thomas Wick followed with an RBI double. Andrew Tsunoda and Blake Sabol each knocked in a run in the third.
The Dolphins (4-4, 1-1) threatened to score in the fourth when they had runners on the corners with one out. Nocon then forced two straight shallow flyouts.
