Crack of the Bat
by Blaine Clemmens
Game #2 - Black 7 vs Royal 4 - Hooker and Jordan Lead Black over Royal
Game #2 of the 2006 Perfect Game California Games was won by the Black team by a score of 7-4. It was a one run game with the Black up 4-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth. In that inning Black scored three times for a four run advantage that proved to be too much for Royal to overcome against Black team closer Alek Diachenko.
Diachenko (H, 3 K, BB) went the final two innings for Black, allowing only an unearned run to earn the save in relief of starter Deryk Hooker. Hooker (8 H, 3 R, 4 K, 2 BB) went five innings to pick up the win. Jared Jordan was the offensive star for Black, driving in four runs in a 2 for 3 (2B, 3B) effort.
The Royal team opened the scoring in the 2nd inning. Freddie Freeman (2-3, 2B, 2 R) led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Travis Tartamella (1-2, 2B, 2 RBI). Those two players proved to be quite a potent duo in the Royal line-up. Black immediately answered back in the bottom of the 2nd when Matt Jaimes (2-3, HR, RBI, 2 R) blasted a leadoff home run to deep left field. Two batters later T.J. Warren ('06 OF, Jesse Bethel HS) singled and stole second. He was eventually driven home on a single by '07 shortstop Courtney Morgan (Mission Bay HS) to give Black a 2-1 lead. Black would not trail from that point forward
In the bottom of the third Daniel Duran led off with a double and later scored on a wild pitch to put Black up 3-1. Royal scratched a run across in the top of the 4th after Freeman led off with a single and was later driven in on a double by Tartamella. Black answered that run in the 4th with a run of their own when Jared Jordan tripled with one out to drive in Warren who had reached via a fielder's choice.
Royal kept the pressure on by scoring again in top of the 5th. With two outs Ryan Ortiz ('06 C/1B, St. Augustine HS) sharply doubled to left and promptly was driven in by the next hitter, Nick Noonan, who singled, but was eventually thrown out trying to take second as he anticipated the throw going home. That squashed a potential rally.
Black put the hammer on Royal in the bottom of the sixth. Eddie McKiernan ('07 INF/P, Monrovia HS) led off and reached on an error. The next hitter was retired, but back to back singles by Jaimes and Diachenko (2-3, R) loaded the bases. After a strikeout, Jared Jordan came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. He wasted no time getting a pitch to hit and drove a double into right centerfield to clear the bases.
Diachenko, who came on in the top of the 6th, struck out the first two Royal hitters in the 7th with an arsenal of aggressive stuff, including a stiff fastball and a wicked breaking ball. He gave up a single to Connor Bernatz ('07 OF, Mater Dei HS) and a walk to Jesse Moore ('08 INF/P, Mission Bay HS) with two outs, Bernatz eventually scoring an error by the first baseman. However, Diachenko calmly recovered and got the final out on a comebacker to preserve the win and tie the three game series.
Of note was Sequoyah Stonecipher's third triple of the series. He led off the bottom of the first with that triple, and also of note, was stranded after a triple for the third time in two games.