Dana Hills Gets Past Foothill

One team had to advance and Dana Hills was a little better Friday in outlasting host Foothill, 12-8.

This first-round Southern Section Division II playoff game was not a pretty sight. The way both teams arrived at the final outcome left the coaches scratching their heads.

Foothill (18-8), bounced in the first round for the third consecutive season, committed five errors.

Dana Hills (19-7), which claimed its first playoff victory since 1988, had two errors and made three baserunning mistakes that resulted in outs. But the Dolphins also pounded three Knight pitchers for 15 hits.

The teams also combined for three wild pitches, a passed ball, a bad pickoff attempt that led to a run, and two hit batters. Throw in a couple of juggled catches on routine fly balls and, well, you get picture.

“Before the game, if you asked me what our strength is, I’d tell you solid defense and good pitching,” Dana Hills Coach Bob Canary said. “But you wouldn’t have known it by today. We booted the ball and early on gave them opportunity after opportunity.”

Foothill Coach Vince Brown had difficulty accepting the manner in which the game was played too. He spent 20 minutes after the game speaking to his team, then hugged each senior.

“Emotionally we made some crucial, crucial mistakes,” he said. “Every time those mistakes came back to bite us. It was that type of game, that type of day, but I do credit our guys with coming back several times and not quitting.”

Jesse Gallup’s two-run home run was part of a three-run first inning for Dana Hills, but Foothill took a 4-3 second-inning lead.

Dana Hills scored two runs in the third inning and two in the fourth, helped by two errors. With four more runs in the sixth, the Dolphins held an 11-5 advantage and looked like they were going to cruise. But Foothill rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, helped by a Dolphin error and a hit batter.

The Knights loaded the bases in the inning, but with two out, Gallup, who came on to pitch in relief in the fourth inning, got catcher Josh Arhart, the ninth batter of the inning, to fly out to short right field.

“At the end I couldn’t get it over the plate,” Gallup said. “I was too nervous.”

In other Division II games:

Villa Park 9, Newhall Hart 7--Matt Jackson hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to break a 7-7 tie as visiting Villa Park (13-13) upset second-seeded Hart (24-4). Villa Park’s Charlie Saponara tied the score in the same inning with a home run.

Brian Kunisch (6-5) pitched a nine-hitter but didn’t give up a run in the final three innings for Villa Park, which was the third-place team in the Century League.

Hart, the champion of the Foothill League, made five errors.

Villa Park advances to play Corona, which beat Chino Don Lugo, 13-10, Friday.

Katella 16, Aliso Niguel 10--Katella (17-11) had three home runs to key a 10-run sixth inning. Scott Fraser hit a grand slam, Carlos Pasillas a three-run shot and Tony Solo a solo homer. Katella will play Edison in the second round. Aliso Niguel finished 20-7.

Edison 7, El Dorado 6--Jeff Grady hit two home runs as wild-card team Edison (20-8) advanced to the second round. Edison took a 7-0 lead before El Dorado (17-10) rallied with six runs in the bottom of the sixth.