HUNTINGTON BEACH – One way for a team to erase the unpleasant feeling after a difficult defeat is to come right back with an exhilarating victory.
That’s exactly what the Huntington Beach baseball team did in a key Sunset League game against Marina on Thursday at Huntington Beach High.
Kenny Kim’s pinch-hit grand slam in the fifth inning lifted the second-ranked Oilers to a 5-2 victory.
The victory came the day after the Oilers (10-3, 4-1) lost to Los Alamitos, 3-2.
“It was a really tough game and I thought we played really well,” Oilers coach Benji Medure said of the loss to the Griffins. “So we wanted to get that good taste back in our mouths. We turned the page really well.”
Marina (8-4, 5-1) went into the contest without a loss in league, but the Vikings still sit in first place by a half-game despite the loss.
In the top of the second, Oilers pitcher Nate Madole picked off Steven Cases as he broke from first base to steal second.
But first baseman Hagen Danner’s throw to second sailed into the outfield and Casas made it all the way home to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Oilers had runners on second and third with two outs, and Marina intentionally walked Danner.
Medure sent Kim to the plate to pinch hit for Josh Hahn, and Kim crushed Ryan Mark’s 2-1 pitch over the left-field wall for a grand slam.
“I was looking for something up,” Kim said. “I was just wanting to get something to drive. It felt good to get the win for my team.”
Marina displayed some power of its own in the sixth when Cory Lewis hit a solo home run.
Huntington Beach added a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Nick Pratto that scored Cohi Staffa from third.
