ORANGE COUNTY PREP BASEBALL : Sea View League : Tustin Rallies to Beat Saddleback : Harper Comes Through in a Pinch for the Tillers, 4-3

Tustin High School’s Andy Harper picked a good time to end his hitting slump Wednesday.

Harper’s two-run single in the bottom of the seventh not only ended an 0-for-11 string, but also gave the Tillers a 4-3 victory over Saddleback in the Sea View League.

Tustin Coach Vince Brown had Harper pinch-hit for pitcher Monty Roberts with one out in the seventh and runners on second and third. Harper sent Sean Therien’s second pitch to right field, driving in the tying and winning runs.

“He was due,” Brown said. “Andy started the season as our right fielder, but he had been pressing and struggling. He didn’t have a hit all season. I decided to rest him the last three games and let him regroup.

“On Tuesday, Andy came up to me after practice and asked me when he was going to get his chance. Well, he got his chance today.”

Saddleback (3-1, 6-4) opened a 1-0 lead in the third on Danny Ontiveros’ run-scoring double and then took a 3-1 lead in the fifth when Therien doubled down the third-base line to score two runs.

The Tillers (4-0, 6-4) took advantage of three Saddleback errors to score a run in the fifth and two in the seventh, completing the comeback on Harper’s hit. Afterward, Bobby Mangram, Saddleback coach, blamed his team’s defensive lapses for the loss.

“That kid getting the pinch-hit wasn’t what beat us,” Mangram said. “It was the routine grounder we couldn’t field and a wild pickoff throw earlier in the inning that beat us. They didn’t beat us; we gave this game to them.”

Mangram was alluding to a fielding error by Roadrunner first baseman Brian Hoialman and Therien’s wild pickoff attempt that set up two Tustin runners in scoring position for Harper’s heroics.

Therien (1-2) deserved better. He struck out seven, gave up only six hits and allowed just two earned runs. But four walks proved to be his downfall.

Monty Roberts (3-0) earned the win, striking out seven and allowing only one walk. The Tillers were the preseason No. 1 selection in the Southern Section’s 2-A poll and appear to be living up to the ranking after struggling early.

“The kids felt a little pressure with the No. 1 ranking, but we’re playing well now,” Brown said. “I thought we played well enough to win today, even if we lost.”

Harper saw to it that the Tillers didn’t.

In other Sea View League games:

Corona del Mar 9, Estancia 5--Mitch Melbon was 3 for 3 with two runs scored and an RBI and Chad Thompson drove in three runs as the Sea Kings (1-3, 4-5) won at home. Conrad Colby (2 for 4) led the Eagles (1-3, 4-5).

University 7, Newport Harbor 7 (9 innings)--Darrell Sawicki (3-0) struck out 13 and gave up nine hits in nine innings for the Trojans (2-1-1, 5-5-1) at Newport Harbor. Sawicki has struck out 36 in his last three games.