ORANGE COUNTY PREP BASEBALL : Sunset League : Holdridge’s Late-Inning Blast Lifts Ocean View Again, 9-6

The unlikely scenario has almost become routine for Ocean View High School’s baseball team.

The scene: It is late in a Sunset League game, and designated hitter David Holdridge steps to the plate.

He hits a long home run that gives Ocean View another victory, keeping the Seahawks atop the league standings.

Routine? Hardly. But Holdridge is certainly making it look that way.

Holdridge, a senior, hit a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning to lift the Seahawks to a 9-6 victory over Edison Friday afternoon.

Edison Coach Ron LaRuffa had been well aware of Holdridge’s presence in the early innings. He had Holdridge intentionally walked twice, although it loaded the bases both times.

But when Holdridge came to bat in the sixth, LaRuffa had no choice but to pitch to him with the bases loaded. Holdridge responded by smashing Charger starter Tom Thobe’s hanging curve well over the 365-foot sign in right-center for a grand slam and a 9-4 lead.

It was Holdridge’s seventh home run in nine league games. Five of the homers have come in the sixth inning or beyond, and four have been game-winning hits.

What’s more, three of the homers have come with the bases loaded and the other four have come with two runners on base. Thus, with seven swings, Holdridge has driven in 24 runs.

“I’ve never seen a hitter have a streak like this,” said Bill Gibbons, Ocean View coach. “All of his homers have been shots against quality pitchers. There isn’t a cheap one (homer) among them.”

Asked if he would done the almost unthinkable--walk Holdridge with the bases loaded--if he were an opposing coach, Gibbons said: “You can’t walk anyone intentionally with the bases loaded. Let’s face it, David is a human being.”

He’s also a tremendously gifted baseball player. Touted as one of the nation’s top pitching prospects, Holdridge has yet to throw a pitch in a game this season after he dislocated his collarbone in the preseason.

Instead, he has been making headlines with his compact swing that has a way of shrinking ballparks. He generates tremendous bat velocity with his strong wrists and biceps, making his home runs look effortless.

Holdridge began throwing in the Seahawks’ bullpen Thursday, and Gibbons said he may use him in a relief role down the stretch.

“I’m not going to jeopardize his future, but his arm is beginning to respond and that’s encouraging,” Gibbons said. “He threw about 20 pitches without any discomfort. If the right situation comes up, he’ll throw.”

Gibbons could have used Holdridge on the mound against Edison. Seahawk starter Dan Naulty nearly blew a 5-0 lead when he lost control in the third inning. He allowed two runs to score on wild pitches, cutting the lead to 5-4.

Gibbons replaced Naulty with Mike Fyhrie (8-1), and the senior responded by retiring the first 11 batters he faced, seven of them on strikeouts. At one point, Fyhrie struck out six straight and allowed only one earned run.

“When Mike came on in the third inning, the momentum was in Edison’s favor,” Gibbons said. “He did a great job on the mound.” Fyhrie also had two hits and scored three runs.

The victory moved Ocean View (8-1) two games ahead of Edison (6-3) in the six-team league, but Gibbons wasn’t ready to accept his third straight title just yet.

“I still think the league won’t be decided until the last week,” Gibbons said. “Of course, if David Holdridge was pitching, it would be over by now.”

And if Holdridge wasn’t hitting, the Seahawks’ title chances would also be over by now.

Fountain Valley 2, Westminster 1--Ryan Thibault pitched a four-hitter and struck out five as the Barons (3-6, 7-10) upset the Lions (5-3-1, 14-4-1) at Fountain Valley High. John Gonzales, who allowed three hits in 5 innings, took the loss.

Fountain Valley scored two runs in the fifth with the help of three walks, Phil Sakelios’ RBI double and Rob Flinn’s suicide squeeze. Westminster scored in the fourth when Jim Slagle singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an error.

DAVID HOLDRIDGE: RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

DATE OPPONENT INNING HR SCORE March 28 Hunt. Beach 7th and 8th both 3-run 11-8 win March 31 Edison 7th 3-run 5-3 win April 3 Westminster 4th grand slam 6-5 loss April 7 Fountain Valley 6th grand slam 8-4 win April 21 Hunt. Beach 5th 2-run 13-2 win April 24 Edison XX XX XX