Garrett walks away with hero's role for Los Alamitos

Travis Garrett actually had to work for the final one.

Before Los Alamitos' No. 3 hitter could take the winning ball four, he at least had to foul off a pair of two-strike fastballs from Esperanza ace Jon Pettibone. The two-out walk capped a three-run, seventh-inning rally and left Garrett with no official at-bats in the host Griffins' 6-5 victory.

In five plate appearances, Garrett walked three times and was hit by two pitches.

“Never in my life,” said Garrett, who has grown accustomed to pitchers nibbling around the plate. He has gone 0 for 0 on occasion, just not in games when he had been up five times.

“I've been learning to be more patient,” he said.

The first time Garrett walked, he loaded the bases with none out in the first inning. But the Griffins' No. 4, 5 and 6 hitters followed with two strike outs and a pop up to end the threat against lefty starter Tim Lu.

All three of them then struck out in the fifth inning, after designated hitter Jack DeAngelis singled and Garrett was hit by a two-strike pitch.

Los Alamitos coach Mike Clabough said Garrett has 12-15 fewer at bats than some teammates, despite playing every game. The senior's final time up, he found himself sitting on the fastball, as Pettibone struggled to locate his off-speed repertoire.

“I think nine out of 10 high school kids swing at that last pitch,” Clabough said, referring to the anxiety of the situation, not the pitch's high, outside location. “That was a professional at bat.”

Los Alamitos (13-2, 4-1 Sunset League) had tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Esperanza (9-7, 2-3) quickly regained the lead, when center fielder Dennis Holt homered to lead off the seventh.

“We just unraveled, man,” Aztecs coach Mike Curran said. “We battled for six innings and really played well. It just fell apart.”

In other Sunset League action:

Fountain Valley 6, Edison 2: Zach Cardenalli had four hits, including a double and a triple, in the Barons' victory over the host Chargers. Chris Czerniachowski had three hits, including a solo home run, for Edison.

In the Trinity league:

JSerra 2, No. 3 Mater Dei 0: Grahamm Wiest and Roarke Anderson combined on a two-hit shutout to lead the Lions past the visiting Monarchs.

Wiest (3-1) started the game and pitched 5 2/3 innings, striking out three and allowing  two hits. 

Bret Dahlson's two-run home run in the fourth propelled JSerra (13-4, 4-1) to its fourth consecutive league victory.

Mater Dei (12-5, 2-3) dropped its second consecutive game. The Monarchs, who lost to No. 1 Orange Lutheran on Wednesday, scored just one run in its two Trinity games this week.

In the Sea View league:

No. 5 El Toro 2, Foothill 1: Grant Anderson's RBI single in the sixth proved to be the difference as the visiting Chargers (14-3, 5-0) defeat the Knights (10-6, 3-2).

Tyler Zeigler, who replaced starter T.J. Kendzora in the fifth, pitched three scoreless innings to claim his third victory.

Contact the writer: jkay@ocregister.com