SANTA ANA – Quentin Longrie entered the season with much expected of him.
Longrie, a junior left-handed pitcher, was labeled the ace of the staff for the nationally ranked JSerra baseball team. He won six games as a sophomore with a 2.38 ERA. Longrie already had secured a scholarship from UCLA.
But 2014 has been a challenge. That is, until Wednesday when Longrie pitched well for six innings as JSerra beat Mater Dei, 2-1, in a Trinity League game at Mater Dei.
The win, coupled with Servite’s loss Wednesday to Orange Lutheran, puts the Lions in sole possession of first place in the Trinity. JSerra, No.1 in the Orange County rankings, is 4-1 in league and 11-3 overall.
Mater Dei is having an unusual struggle. The Monarchs are in fifth place in the six-team league at 2-3. They are 8-8 overall.
JSerra sophomore shortstop Chase Strumpf, another UCLA commit, drilled the game’s second pitch over the left-center field fence to give the Lions a 1-0 lead. The Monarchs tied it by scoring on a wild pitch in the fifth inning. The Lions got the winning run on a two-out single by junior catcher Sam Cohen.
Longrie allowed five hits, walked one and struck out four to get his first win. He is 1-1.
“It feels good to finally pitch well and get a win,” Longrie said. “League wins are always great. I had great team defense behind me.”
Longrie’s most effective pitches were a curveball and changeup.
“The changeup felt good,” he said. “I was getting that over the plate and the curve felt good, too. I just tried spotting my fastball.”
JSerra coach Brett Kay was happy to see Longrie succeed.
“His stuff’s electric. But he’s been walking guys, not pitching to contact and not believing in himself. High school kids,” Kay said, shaking his head. “It’s tough. You’re going through the rigors of so many things.”
The Trinity League has been tough, even on the first-place Lions.
“We’ve played five Trinity League games,” Kay said. “All five games have been one-run games.”
That includes Monday’s 4-3 loss to Santa Margarita. It could be another tight one coming up. JSerra plays a home game Friday at 6 p.m. against Orange Lutheran, which is expected to go with ace starting pitcher Garrett King (2-3, 0.67 ERA).
Mater Dei plays an afternoon game Friday at Santa Margarita.
Charlie Vorsheck pitched well for Mater Dei. A senior right-hander who signed with Notre Dame, Vorscheck gave up only three other hits after Strumpf’s homer. He struck out four with no walks.
Mater Dei tied it when freshman Nick Pratto scored on a wild pitch. Cohen retrieved the ball at the backstop quickly, fired to Longrie covering but Pratto was able to dislodge the ball and was safe.
Cohen made it 2-1 with a single in the sixth that drove in Brady Shockey. Shockey had walked, advanced to second base on a wild pitch and took third on a ground out.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
