Advertisement

Ocean View falls to Segerstrom

Share

HUNTINGTON BEACH — By not being able to take care of the little things Friday, the Ocean View baseball team took a step backward in Golden West League play.

Segerstrom parlayed a one-out rally in the fourth inning into five runs, used another one-out rally in the fifth to pad its lead, and went on to score a 10-1 victory over the host Seahawks. It was the second win in three days for the Jaguars over the Seahawks, and Friday’s outcome left both teams at 4-5 in league play.

Segerstrom posted a 12-8 win Wednesday over Ocean View.

The Jaguars took the league series, 2-1.

Neither team got much going in the first three innings but a walk drawn by Segerstrom pitcher Matt Martinez in the top of the fourth, started a big inning for the Jaguars.

Advertisement

Following a bad-hop single through the right-side of the infield, and two fielding errors on the mound, things began to unravel for Ocean View (6-13). Segerstrom (12-6) parlayed those mistakes, took advantage of a squeeze bunt RBI by George Millan, and also scored on a wild pitch, to a 5-0 lead.

“We have had a hard time stopping rallies this year,” Ocean View Coach Shane Borowski said. “We’ve been unable to execute the little things to end these rallies, and that was evident again today.

“We’re better than we’re playing, but the scores don’t indicate that.”

Ocean View hit the ball well against Martinez but could only muster a single run. The Seahawks got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when senior Luke Fell opened with a double off the wall in left field, and later scored on a single to center field by junior Steven Cotton.

They scored once despite getting four hits in the frame. In addition to Fell and Cotton, junior Ramon Sepulveda, who had two hits in the game, had a bunt single and Bobby Evans singled to right field.

Senior Aaron Beutel started the Ocean View fifth with a single to center field, junior catcher James Wilson had a line drive single to start the bottom of the sixth, and sophomore Christian Adams singled in the seventh, but Martinez was able to work his way out of both innings unscathed.

The Jaguars turned double plays in both the fifth and seventh innings to cut off any potential comeback by the Seahawks.

“Offensively, we are swinging the bats well, but we are hitting hard right to somebody,” Borowski said. “Luke [Fell] had that big double to open the fourth, and I thought Aaron Beutel really stepped up his game. We hit the ball today, but only have one run to show for it.”

Ocean View was missing a big piece of its offensive puzzle Friday. First baseman Jared Goodman, a top hitter for the Seahawks, suffered a hamstring pull in Wednesday’s loss at Segerstrom and didn’t play in the rematch. Goodman, who bats third in the Seahawks’ lineup, was two for two in Wednesday’s game.

The senior has 23 RBIs and was batting nearly .550 through Ocean View’s first 18 games, Borowski said.

Segerstrom upped its lead to 7-1 in the top of the fifth on RBI singles by Adrian Rodriguez and Anthony Lopez. The Jaguars pushed their advantage to 10-1 in the seventh, getting another run on a wild pitch and scored their two final runs on a two-RBI single by Joseph Gomez.

Ocean View can put Friday’s loss in the rear view mirror, and focus on what lays ahead. With six games remaining, the Seahawks still are in the thick of the chase for a CIF playoff berth. They have two upcoming games next week with second-place Westminster, starting with a 3:15 p.m. date Wednesday on the Lions’ home field.

They’ll host Westminster on April 26, also at 3:15 p.m.

Series with Orange and first-place Loara follow the Westminster games.

“I told the guys that there is still a lot to play for. Everything, really,” Borowski said. “It’s a tight [league] race that is going to come down to series wins. Right now, we need our seniors to convey to the rest of the team, that there is still life left in us.”

*

In Sunset League action Friday, Marina defeated visiting Huntington Beach, 6-2, and Edison fell, 4-2, to Los Alamitos.

Marina scored six runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 6-0 lead on Huntington and control of the game. Senior left-handed pitcher Jackson Westermeyer threw six innings and allowed only two hits. Sophomore Steven Gingery, another lefty, pitched the seventh to close out the win.

Westermeyer improved to 5-1, the Vikings to 13-7 overall, and at 6-3 in league, they are in second place behind Fountain Valley (9-0).

Sophomore Austin Moore and senior Jake Bauers both had two RBIs, and senior Max Willingham drove in a run in what Vikings Coach Bob Marshall said was a “great team win.”

The Oilers slipped to 2-7 in league and 9-11 overall.

“Huntington Beach is always tough to play,” he said. “Coach [Benji] Medure does a great job with that young, talented group.”

michael.sciacca@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeSciacca

Advertisement