Fountain Valley’s Clark Is a Hit

It came as no surprise that the three Orange County high school players selected in Monday’s major league baseball free-agent draft were pitchers. Strong pitching was the county’s trademark all season.

Just don’t tell that to Fountain Valley’s John Clark. Clark went two for three with two doubles and scored the winning run Tuesday in the South’s 6-5 victory in the 33rd North-South all-star game at Cal State Fullerton.

Clark doubled to center with one out in the ninth, moved to third on an infield single by University’s Jordan Cumsky and scored on a single to right-center by Josh Hansen of Mater Dei. He was selected the game’s most valuable player.

“There was no pressure,” said Clark, who also doubled and scored in the third. “This was just for fun. It was nice just to be chosen to come out here.”

The South, which ended the North’s one-game winning streak, leads the series, 18-15.

Each team amassed nine hits despite the presence of three pitchers taken on the first day of the draft. Katella’s Jonathan Lorenzen, taken by the Dodgers in the 14th round, struck out five over three innings and scored a run in the seventh inning for the North.

Mission Viejo’s John Hudgins (Oakland, 20th round) struck out four over two innings for the South.

Brea Olinda’s Mike Davern (Atlanta, 18th round) did not pitch for the North because he threw five innings in a Connie Mack League game Sunday. But he did pinch-hit in the ninth, sacrificing a runner to second base.

In the first, Esperanza’s Kent Carpenter struck out for the North but reached first on a wild pitch and came home to score on a double by Nick Fitzgerald of Los Alamitos. Fitzgerald took third on a passed ball and scored on an RBI groundout by Peter Eberhardt of Whittier Christian to give the North a 2-0 lead.

The South tied the game with two runs in the third. Clark hit a lead-off double to right and scored on a single to left by Cumsky. Cumsky took second on the throw home, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball.

Nick Lentine of San Clemente gave the South a 3-2 lead in the fourth after singling to left, stealing second and scoring on an errant throw to first base.

But almost every time the South surged ahead, the North responded. Villa Park’s Jeff Tuttle led off the fifth with a single and eventually scored on a ground out by Ryan Justice of Cypress to tie the score, 3-3.

The South went back up, 4-3, in the sixth when Jesus Rodarte of Los Amigos walked and scored on a two-out double by Woodbridge’s Chris Pearson.

The North came back with two runs in the seventh to go ahead, 5-4. Lorenzen singled, took second on a single by Chris Hanson of Tustin and scored on a double to right by Chris Van Camp of Valencia. Van Camp then scored on a single by Patrick Breen of Servite.

Edison’s Glenn Hedgpeth tied the game, 5-5, in the bottom half of the inning after drawing a walk and later scoring on a wild throw to third.

Capistrano Valley Christian’s Thomas Grove pitched the ninth for the victory.