Canyon Moves a Step Closer to Big A

FULLERTON — Canyon Coach Hi Lavalle, who has led two teams into Southern Section baseball championship games at Anaheim Stadium in the past eight years, believes he has another team capable of reaching the finals.

“It’s not presumed, but we’re capable of getting to Anaheim,” Lavalle said. “We’ve got good pitching and everyone in the lineup is capable of producing at the plate.”

Right fielder James Jekums was the spark Tuesday in Canyon’s 4-3 victory over host Fullerton in the second round of the Division 4-A playoffs.

Jekums lined a two-out single to right field in the top of the eighth inning that scored pinch-runner Tim Sumner with the go-ahead run as Canyon (19-7-1) won its eighth consecutive game. The Comanches will meet Savanna (14-13) in the quarterfinals Friday at the site to be determined.

Fullerton starter Jerry Martinez had limited Canyon to three singles by first baseman Jeff Brunswig before he began to tire in the seventh inning. Canyon tied the score in the seventh, 3-3, on a sacrifice fly by left fielder Gunnar Strunz and then got consecutive singles by Brad Shuckhart and Tony Schifano in the eighth to chase Martinez.

“Jerry pitched well, but ran out of gas,” said Fullerton Coach Dolf Hess. “When he started hanging his slider, he was done.” Martinez, the most valuable player in the Freeway League, was the loser.

Canyon opened with two runs in the first inning without getting a hit. Fullerton committed two errors in the inning, including one by Martinez when he dropped a soft lob from first baseman Jim White while covering first.

“We gave them two runs in the first inning, but then I thought both teams settled down and played good baseball,” Hess said. “We didn’t get too many opportunities, but this team has been coming back all year and I thought we’d do it again today.”

Fullerton (18-8) did stage a comeback, tying the score, 2-2, in the bottom of the first inning when sophomore Keith Ginter hit a two-run homer over the left-center field fence. Ginter also had two singles.

Fullerton took a 3-2 lead in the second inning when Scott Siefen doubled and scored one out later on a double by Steve St. Pierre. But Fullerton managed only four hits the remainder of the game against Canyon starter Jarrod Kula (8-3).