Eichmann, Kennedy shut down San Clemente, 1-0

SAN CLEMENTE – It had been two years since Kennedy pitcher Jeremy Eichmann had pitched a complete game. He picked the perfect time to end that drought.

Eichmann shut down the San Clemente offense to help Kennedy grind out a 1-0 victory Saturday afternoon in the O.C. Challenge at San Clemente.

“He kept their hitters off balance and just did a great job,” Kennedy coach Conrad Colby said.

The junior pitcher threw 93 pitches in seven innings, allowing just three hits and striking out seven without walking a batter.

“I felt really good,” Eichmann said. “I came out there, started throwing strikes and just kept pounding the strike zone. Everything was working.”

Kennedy (8-14) needed the strong performance from their junior pitcher as San Clemente (11-11) starter Kyle Katsandries also had a stellar outing. He went seven innings, allowed three hits, walked two and struck out four. But he allowed one run in the second inning, which turned out to be the difference.

Kennedy center fielder Chris Cano drew a one-out walk in the second inning and moved over to second on a weak grounder to third base. Right fielder Jojo Atienza then came to the plate and hit a chopper that bounced over Katsandries and into center field, bringing in Cano.

“Obviously, looking back on it now, that turned out to be huge since it was the only run of the game,” Colby said. “Atienza came up big with that hit.”

Eichmann got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom half of the inning and then did not allow another baserunner until the fifth inning when the unique field design at San Clemente - a hill stretches from left to left-center field - aided the Tritons.

With two outs and Eichmann on his way to retiring the side for the third straight inning, pinch-hitter Braden Riddle hit a fly ball to left. Left fielder Trenton Tanioka had a read on the ball but not the field as he fell down while trying to make his way up the hill, the ball dropping behind him for a double.

Rather then get rattled by the stroke of bad luck, Eichmann shook off the fluke play.

“I was actually kind of laughing,” Eichmann said. “We have never played on a field like this and, if there is no hill, Trenton catches that easily. For the next batter I was just like, ‘OK, I’ll just keep throwing strikes.’ ”

He got the next batter to fly out to a more level center field and the threat was over. Eichmann would not allow another hit for the rest of the game.

The loss was San Clemente’s sixth in their last seven games. In those losses, San Clemente has only scored a total of six runs and been shut out three times.