Pacifc Grove has been one of the best Division III baseball
teams in the Central Coast Section the past eight years with two
D-III titles and three runner-ups.
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA – Pacifc Grove has been one of the best Division III baseball teams in the Central Coast Section the past eight years with two D-III titles and three runner-ups.
The Breakers, on the thin side this season, traveled to windy San Juan Bautista Friday to try to keep Anzar High in the Mission Trail Athletic League cellar. Facing a creative defense by the hungry Hawks, Pacific Grove worked a 4-0 shutout to avert a tie for the bottom spot in the MTAL.
Anzar (1-8, 0-7) played the entire contest with an extra infielder, putting right fielder Tyler Frazeur at the normal second base position and moving shortstop Cody Rodgers deep behind the second base bag. The rest of the five-player defense included third baseman Chris Ponder, second baseman Josh Perez, who was actually playing the regular shortstop position, and first baseman Mike Palmer.
The defense probably took away about four sure-fire singles up the middle and, perhaps, kept the score down a little. The Hawks first used it in a 13-5 loss to Carmel.
“We took about nine hits away that day,” said Hawks skipper Leroy Dozal. “Most kids now are taught to line the ball through the middle. Either that, or they’re hitting everything to right-center or left-center. Our defense kept us in the game today. We just didn’t generate any offense.”
“I’ve only seen that defense employed in the last inning,” said Breakers coach Jeff Gray, in his 12th year. “I understand what he might be doing it. With this wind, it’s hard to drive the ball deep anyway, or even pull it.”
The Hawks didn’t do much against Breakers starter Dave Potter (1-1). Anzar had three singles, two of them didn’t get out of the infield. For the game, Potter worked to just four batters over the minimum, walking one. The Hawks had two runners reach third – Matt Wilkensen in the fourth and Sam Stewart in the sixth.
It was too bad the Hawks, who have averaged 1.9 runs per game in their seven league contests, couldn’t push a few runs across. That’s because Hawks hurler Neill Ferreira pitched well enough to win, allowing just seven hits. Four of this hits were doubles and only one of those would have been a single if the Hawks, who had an outfielder in left-center and right-center, had played a normal positioned outfield.
“I was impressed with the way their pitcher held us down,” said Gray, whose club is 5-15 overall and 2-5 in the MTAL. “He gets ahead in the count real well.”
“Our offense is struggling,” said Ferreira, who had the first Hawks hit in the second inning. “Hopefully it will come around soon. We’re playing pretty good defense.”
The Hawks did commit five errors, two of them led to runs. The best defensive play came from catcher Stewart, who caught two Breakers runners stealing with strong throws.
“Stewart’s been great behind the dish this year,” said Dozal. “He’s a competitor.”
The Hawks enjoy an Easter break before trekking to Greenfield on April 23.
Pacific Grove 010 011 1 – 4 7 2
Anzar 000 000 0 – 0 3 5
Potter and Collins; Ferreira and Stewart. WP-Potter (1-1). LP-Ferreira (0-4). 2B – Potter 2, Montanez, Tucker (PG). 2 hits – Potter, Provo (PG).
