5-A BASEBALL : Double Play Saves Day for Katella

Jess Evans had three hits and teammate Chris Reed hit a home run, but it was the sterling defensive play of third baseman Dennis Briggs that preserved Katella High School’s 7-4 victory over Alemany in the second round of the Southern Section 5-A baseball playoffs Tuesday at College of the Canyons.

Katella (22-5) advances to the quarterfinals Friday and will play Diamond Bar, a 4-3 victor over Riverside Poly.

With one out in the sixth, Briggs executed an acrobatic double play that snuffed an Alemany rally. Trailing, 6-2, Alemany (14-14) loaded the bases with one out. Katella starter Chris Drummond walked the final batter he faced, forcing in a run. Danny Allen then replaced Drummond, but freshman Andy Dominique had an RBI single to cut the advantage to 6-4.

The following batter, Bobby Ordona, went to a full count before rapping a shot at Briggs, who turned, stepped on third and caught Ordona at first.

“That was a big-time play because we were right there hanging on the edge,” Katella Coach Tim McMenamin said. Briggs, a junior who committed only one error in 15 Empire League games, made a backhanded stab and spectacular off-balance throw to record the first out in the third.

“I felt more focused--maybe it was the pressure,” Briggs said. “I was glad the ball came to me. I have the most confidence in the world.”

The double play seemed to break Alemany’s spirit.

“If that ball would have gotten over his head, we might have been over the hump,” said Alemany Coach Jim Ozella, whose team finished 12-13. “Even a little seeing-eye grounder through the infield. . . . “

Reed make it 1-1 in the second with a solo home run over the left-field fence. In the fourth, Evans scored on a single by Chris Marquez.

Evans broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth with a bases-loaded single that drove in Jaime Vitzelio and Eric Boyd. Brian Franklin followed with a fielder’s choice to score Brandon Farley.

Steve Ramey scored in the sixth and Evans in the seventh.

Drummond (8-1), a senior right-hander who entered the game with a 1.37 earned-run average, scattered seven hits and yielded two runs to earn the victory. Allen earned his first save.