Dana Hills edges Tesoro with timely hitting

DANA POINT - With the standings getting clogged atop the South Coast League, Dana Hills needed this victory.

The way in which the Dolphins went about defeating Tesoro, 7-5, on Friday, however, was not how they normally go about their business.

The No. 7 Dolphins (13-7, 6-2 league) scored five of their seven runs against the Titans (9-12, 4-4) with two outs, which was pleasant news for Coach Tom Faris.

“Some of the things we’ve lacked throughout the year has been some of that clutch hitting with two outs and with guys in scoring position,” Faris said, “Having that clutch hit and then another clutch hit and those types of things happening is really positive for where we're at in the season right now.”

Providing the biggest of those clutch hits was Dolphins shortstop Peter Maris. In the fourth inning, with his team trailing, 4-2, with runners at second and third, Maris made his way to the plate. The senior slapped a two-out single to bring both runners home, tying the score.

“Two outs gets us pumped up," Maris said. "We just got it done, we came through in the clutch.”

The fourth inning proved to be devastating for the Titans, and the Dolphins tacked on one more run to take the lead, 5-4.

After scoring in the second, third and fourth innings, the Titans were stopped by the pitching of Dana Hills starter Eric Pierce. Pierce, who gave up a home run in the third inning to Tesoro’s junior catcher Eric Hutting, settled down in the fifth and sixth innings, going through stretches of retiring five and four batters in a row in the final four innings.