ROUNDUP: Gaels fall in nine innings in Easter Classic title game

Bishop Gorman baseball coach Nick Day is not that far removed from his playing days in the minor leagues, so he remembers the grind of coming to the ballpark every day.

That's why with the Gaels at the end of a tough stretch that saw them play 14 games in 13 days, Day warned his team against being complacent on Saturday.

“We’ve been talking about the challenge of the schedule,” Day said, “and to see us get through 13 games pretty efficient … and have the letdown in the last game is what’s tough.”

The host Gaels left 14 runners on base and ran out of gas in the top of the ninth inning, giving up five runs in a 9-4 loss to Hart (Calif.) in the championship game of the Bishop Gorman Easter Classic.

Dayton Provost broke a 4-4 tie when he lined a two-run single to right past Gorman’s drawn-in infield, and Paul Richan, the ninth batter of the inning for the Indians, added a two-run single off reliever Cadyn Grenier to cap the scoring.

Provost, a junior who has orally committed to UCLA, went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and three stolen bases.

“We seemed a hair behind,” Day said. “Our bats seemed a hair off. Everything we did was just off. We seemed a little tired. I don’t like to use that as an excuse, but that’s the way it seemed.”

Cole Krzmarzick went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs for the Gaels (18-3), and teammate Brandon Wulff was 2-for-5 with a solo home run to deep left field in the fifth inning that tied the game at 4-4.

Andrew Newson followed Wulff’s blast by reaching on a hit by pitch, and he took second on Matt Hudgins’ groundout. Austin Cram then tapped a ball to the right side that Hart second baseman Pearson Good ranged deep in the hole to snag. But instead of going for the out at first base, Good alertly fired a throw home from shallow right field, and catcher Brad Meza tagged out Newson after a minor collision at the plate to end the inning.

“As the third-base coach, I was hoping he threw to first because if he does, he scores easy,” Day said. “I’d send him again. (Good) made a good play. He made the right decision.”

Antonio Rainone went 2-for-5 for Gorman, including a run-scoring double in the fourth that cut Hart’s lead to 4-3, and Grenier was 2-for-4.

The Gaels left the bases loaded in the sixth and stranded runners on first and second in the eighth and ninth innings.

“There were some opportunities in the game that we’ve capitalized on the last two weeks, but we couldn’t capitalize on it today,” Day said. “We missed some opportunities and it was a matter of time before somebody scored. They put the big inning on us, and we couldn’t recover.

Grenier came on for losing pitcher Matt Mitchell in the top of the ninth inning and allowed five hits and four runs, though the highly touted junior right-hander did touch 91 mph on one radar gun.

Colby Kaneshiro went 3-for-4, and his three-run homer off Gorman starter Chris Fredericksen in the top of the fourth gave Hart a 4-2 lead. Shortstop Nick Valaika, a UCLA signee, finished 3-for-4 with a double for the Indians.

“We can take a lot out of it,” Day said. “To me, this is almost better than winning by 10 runs. We need to play close games like this because that’s what we’re going to see at the end of the year.”

Durango 3, Desert Oasis 0 — At Durango, Ken Carpenter, Brayden Williams and Anthony Parry combined on a one-hitter and struck out a total of 13 Diamondback hitters to lead the Trailblazers to the win.

Williams struck out eight in four innings of relief.

Vince Lombardi was 2-for-4 for Durango, which scored its runs on a bases-loaded walk, an infield hit, and a hit batsman with the bases loaded.

SOFTBALL

Kennedy (Calif.) 12, Faith Lutheran 2 — At Los Angeles, Kennedy used an eight-run second inning on its way to a win over the Crusaders in the Lincoln Spring Fling.

Lauryn Lipe was 1-for-2 with an RBI for Faith Lutheran.

Hawthorne (Calif.) 3, Faith Lutheran 2 — At Los Angeles, Hawthorne built a 3-0 lead and held off the Crusaders, who had a runner on base in the bottom of the seventh when the time limit expired in another Lincoln Spring Fling game.

Cheyenne Kidd was 2-for-3 with a triple, and Breanna Hemphill went 2-for-3 for Faith Lutheran.