Early University Rally Stifles Marshall, 4-2

Perhaps it is best that Marshall High will not be invited to Dodger Stadium on Thursday.

If agoraphobia--the fear of open spaces--can strike a team at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium, as it did the Barristers on Tuesday in a 4-2 loss to University, Dodger Stadium might have put them over the edge.

“We have played tight like that when we play in bigger ballparks,” Marshall Coach Gary Donatella said after University converted an error, a wild pitch, a passed ball and a suicide squeeze into three first-inning runs. “We’re used to playing in smaller parks.”

The Warriors (22-10-1) scored again in the sixth to provide insurance for junior starter Eric Alexander, then held on to advance to the City Section 3-A Division final against Bell.

Alexander (6-1) struck out seven batters, including the side in the seventh when Marshall twice brought the potential tying run to the plate. He allowed seven hits and worked out of trouble in nearly every inning.

Marshall (19-10-1) scored twice against the burly right-hander in the fifth.

John Fernandez reached base on third baseman Kevin Millar’s error to lead off and Martin Borgen singled him to third. Fernandez scored on Jose Chavez’s groundout. Ramon Hernandez then hit a fly ball to center that bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double. Another error by Millar put runners on first and third with one out, but Mark Umemoto grounded into the game’s only double play.

“He’s tough,” Donatella said of Alexander. “He throws hard, but we had our chances against him.”

The Barristers left runners in scoring position in four innings.

After Marshall starter Jose Garcia’s fuzzy first inning--Donatella said he had trouble early with his depth perception--he was clearly in control. He retired nine consecutive batters from the third through the fifth, and recorded five consecutive strikeouts in that span.

The first inning, however, would not go away.

University’s David Ravitz led off the game with a double over the head of left-fielder Hernandez. Second baseman John Fernandez’s poor throw on Brendon Buchsbaum’s grounder put runners on first and third. Garcia uncorked a wild pitch in the process of walking the next batter, Jamie Carrillo, to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.

Alexander’s groundout scored another run and Millar squeezed home Carrillo for the third.