PREP BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Mater Dei Rallies to Beat Servite

SANTA ANA — Mater Dei High School overcame an early deficit to defeat Servite, 7-4, in the Angelus League baseball opener for both teams Saturday at Mater Dei.

Mater Dei (7-2 and the county’s top-ranked team) took the lead for good in the fifth inning when Ryan Andersen singled with two outs and took second when the right fielder couldn’t come up with the ball cleanly. Jim McCarthy drove in Andersen with a single. “We think we’re a good team and they think they’re a good team and this was the game to show it,” Mater Dei Coach Bob Ickes said. “Both teams just came out tight and flat.”

Trailing 3-1, Mater Dei scored three runs in the third.

In the fourth, Servite (5-3), the fourth-ranked team in the county, tried to start a rally, but Mater Dei got a double play after Steve Sandoval opened the inning with a single. The Friars only had three baserunners after that and none advanced past second base.

Servite’s Eddie Crippen hit a home run in the fifth to tie the score, 4-4.

Mater Dei’s Jason Dietrich gave up two runs in the first inning but settled down to get the victory. Dietrich (3-1) pitched five innings, giving up four runs, striking out five and walking one. Lionel Hastings struck out two in two shutout innings of relief.