Empire League Baseball : El Dorado Puts Loara Away With Five-Run Fifth, 9-2

Eddie Keller sparked a five-run fifth inning with a two-run double as El Dorado High School defeated Loara, 9-2, Friday in the opening Empire League baseball game for both schools at El Dorado.

El Dorado (8-1), which led, 4-2, going into the fifth, also was sparked by Rene Ayala’s three singles and Chris Olsen’s home run. Ayala singled in a run in the fifth, and the fourth and fifth runs scored on an error.

Kevin Schula (2-0) pitched the first five innings. He allowed both Loara runs on 5 hits and struck out 2. Craig Clayton (2-2) allowed 8 of the Hawks’ runs on 9 hits in 4 innings.

“Schula did what he had to for us,” El Dorado Coach Steve Gullotti said. “He did what he had to do to keep us close in the game. I thought they hit him pretty good, but we played some good defense behind him. When you get a pitcher who can throw strikes and combine that with a good defense, it’s hard to beat any high school team.”

Olsen gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead in the first when he lined an opposite-field home run over the 345-foot sign in right.

El Dorado then got three runs in the second to extend its lead to 4-0. One of the runs scored on Dave Moore’s one-out single after hits by Schula and Ayala and a walk to Keller loaded the bases.

Chris Facione followed Moore’s hit with what might have been an inning-ending double-play grounder to third baseman Brian McGaughey. After McGaughey threw the ball to second baseman Bill McReynolds to force Moore at second, McReynolds threw wildly to first, allowing two more runs to score.

“They might still have had a chance if (McReynolds) completed the double play,” Gullotti said. “If he didn’t make the error, who knows what would have happened?”

Loara (3-4) got both its runs in the fourth on five hits. Clayton, who led off the inning with a double, was driven home one out later on McGaughey’s double. After Bill Jarman singled to advance McGaughey to third, pinch-hitter Kenny Williams singled home McGaughey.

Esperanza 15, Cypress 2--Dwight Neade went 2 for 3 with a home run and 4 RBIs to lead Esperanza (5-3, 1-0) at Cypress. Craig O’Conner went 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs as Esperanza had 17 hits. Jason Moler (2-1) went four innings for the victory. Cypress is 0-1 in league play.

Los Alamitos 9, Katella 6--Greg Pirkl had 2 hits, including a double and 3 RBIs, to lead visiting Los Alamitos (7-1, 1-0). Pirkl has 19 RBIs. Eric Meunier had 3 hits and 5 RBIs for Katella (4-4, 0-1).