Southern Section Playoffs : 3-A Baseball : Kennedy’s Offense Takes Command in 7-2 Win Over Tustin

For a team that spent the regular season winning with pitching and defense, the Kennedy High School baseball team is starting to make an offensive spectacle of itself.

The Fighting Irish have shown some muscle during the Southern Section 3-A playoffs, and Tuesday they had 11 hits, three for extra bases, in a 7-2 victory over Tustin at UC Irvine. Kennedy plays Saugus Saturday in the championship game in Dodger Stadium.

It was the fourth consecutive game that Kennedy has scored at least six runs. All have been playoff games.

“We’ve won with pitching and defense all year,” Kennedy Coach Chris Pascal said. “We’ve been hitting the ball a lot better in the playoffs. I guess it’s good timing.”

Kennedy had a few breaks along the way--a couple of infield singles, a couple of fly balls that were lost in the sun. But the Fighting Irish hit the ball with authority.

With one out in the third inning, Greg Hansell hit a hanging curve off loser Dave Baker (7-3) over the 380-foot sign in left field. It was the second home run in as many games for Hansell.

“I was looking for a fastball, but he threw a slow curve so I had time to adjust,” Hansell said. “I don’t think I’ve ever hit a ball farther.”

Hansell’s solo home run broke a scoreless tie, although Kennedy had threatened in each first of three innings.

The Fighting Irish had two hits in the first, including a double by Steve Rath. They had a runner on second in the second and runners on first and second in the third.

“After the third inning, I told my assistant coach that if we could just hold on like that, Kennedy was in danger,” Tustin Coach Vince Brown said. “The next inning, the guy hits the home run and then we made some mistakes.”

Tustin players twice lost fly balls in the sun in the fourth, which led to two runs and a 3-0 Kennedy lead. The Fighting Irish scored a run in the second and three in the third, two scoring on a 400-foot triple by Rath that hit the base of the fence in center field.

Rath had three hits and three runs batted in.

“Kennedy is not really known as a hitting team,” Brown said. “but they’re hot right now. We gave them some baserunners, but they were hitting the ball hard.”

Seven runs were more than enough for Pete Montera, who had a shutout through six innings. Montera (11-2) wasn’t overpowering, but he had good control. He struck out five and walked only one.

Pete Gerlach drove in both of Tustin’s runs with a bases-loaded single in the seventh. But, Montera finished the game by getting Shawn Green to ground into a force play. It was 17th complete game in the last 19 for Kennedy pitchers.