After sweeping two games against Huntington Beach two weeks ago, and the season series against the Oilers, the Los Alamitos High baseball team is in a three-way tie for first place with Edison and Marina. All three sit at 6-3 in league play with six games left in the regular season.
On Friday, April 20, the Griffins defeated the Oilers, 2-1, at Los Alamitos, behind a complete-game, three-hitter by sophomore Jacob Nix. Nix had seven strikeouts. On Wednesday, April 18, the Griffins again rode the arm of one of their pitchers, as junior Greg Harris pitched a three-hit shutout in a 2-0 win at Huntington Beach, while striking out five.
Huntington Beach also had strong pitching performances, but the Griffins were able to push across two runs in each game.
“When you play a team of Huntington Beach’s caliber you better manufacture some runs and take everything that they give you,” Head Coach Matt Nuez said.
In Thursday’s win senior Dan Austin and junior Cody Marshall each had RBIs to give Nix a 2-0 lead after the first inning. Seniors Mick Schroeder and catcher Andrew Yazdanbakhsh each scored a run.
On Tuesday, Harris was in control from the start as he allowed singles in each of the first three innings. In the fourth he set the Oilers down in order with two pop ups and a strikeout.
In the fifth, Oiler senior Mario Gross hit a ball hard to deep center field, but centerfielder Patrick Ivison was able to run it down. After a strikeout and a walk, Harris closed out the inning by getting a soft fly ball to right field.
“He’s a talented young man who’s been patient and who’s been working hard for this start,” Nuez said.
