ANGRY HARRINGTON LEADS PALMDALE : PALMDALE 4 GR. HILLS 2.Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer When Matt Harrington Matt Harrington (born February 1, 1982) is a baseball player who holds the record for the most times being chosen in the Major League Baseball amateur draft. Between 2000 and 2004, Harrington, a top prospect coming out of high school, was chosen in all five drafts, but never signed gets angry, the Palmdale High junior usually takes out his wrath on opposing hitters. The anger stemming from an early home run served up by the highly regarded pitching prospect served Harrington well, as the right-hander tossed a five-hitter with 10 strikeouts in a 4-2 Daily News Invitational victory at Granada Hills on Thursday. Harrington's performance, aided by his own bat (a solo homer Noun 1. solo homer - a home run with no runners on base solo blast home run, homer - a base hit on which the batter scores a run ) and a two-run shot by junior Matt Plante, eliminated the Highlanders (3-1) from Saturday's championship game. Surprising Grant beat Quartz Hill 6-5 to finish as the City Section's lone unbeaten team. The Lancers lanc·er n. 1. A cavalryman armed with a lance. 2. A member of a regiment originally armed with lances. 3. lancers (used with a sing. verb) a. A kind of quadrille. b. will meet Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame on Saturday night at USC's Dedeaux Field. Granada Hills entered Thursday's games even with Grant in total runs allowed (seven) in the first tiebreaker tie·break·er n. An additional contest or period of play designed to establish a winner among tied contestants. Also called tiebreak. tie to determine the championship game participants. But the Highlanders faced a stiff test in Harrington, arguably the region's best pitcher. ``I don't have any complaints about the schedule,'' said Granada Hills coach Steve Thompson, whose team faced Golden League preseason favorites Highland and Palmdale among its three Southern Section opponents. ``We played some good clubs and we need that going into our conference. So it will help us in the long run.'' The Highlanders will also face few tougher pitchers than Harrington, whose frustrating beginning served him well in the late innings. In the bottom of the first, Jon Bringuier hit a towering solo shot over the 362-foot sign off Harrington to give Granada Hills the early lead. After the Falcons tied it in the second Daniel Seidman's RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in double in the bottom of the inning Noun 1. bottom of the inning - the second half of an inning; while the home team is at bat bottom inning, frame - (baseball) one of nine divisions of play during which each team has a turn at bat put Harrington (2-0) behind again. ``Usually, when I get mad at myself I do better,'' Harrington said. ``(Bringuier) is a great hitter and he took one out pretty far. You are going to give up some hits, but you just want to avoid giving up those shots with runners on base.'' Harrington was basically in control following Seidman's double, setting down 12 of the next 13 Highlanders. He hit Bringuier in the ensuing at-bat following his homer but responded with an inning-ending strikeout of cleanup hitter Dan Frisbee. ``(Harrington) gave up the home run and we got to him early,'' Thompson said. ``But he really seemed to find his rhythm. He's definitely the best guy we've seen.'' It looked like Harrington was tiring in the sixth. Erik Hagstrom and Bringuier opened with consecutive stinging singles. But Frisbee chased a two-strike pitch for the first out and Harrington recorded another strikeout and retired David Teraoka on a ground ball to second. ``We lost to a superior pitcher,'' Thompson said. Granada Hills starter Peter Tuber tuber, enlarged tip of a rhizome (underground stem) that stores food. Although much modified in structure, the tuber contains all the usual stem parts—bark, wood, pith, nodes, and internodes. (0-1) held a 2-1 lead into the fifth but yielded a leadoff double to No. 9 hitter Robert Arellano. One out later Plante turned on Tuber's first pitch and drove it over the left-field fence to put the Falcons up. Harrington provided the insurance in the sixth with his solo blast. ``Matt Plante is not a big guy but he hits the ball hard,'' Palmdale coach Lance Pierson said. SCHEDULE What: Daily News Invitational championship game Who: Grant (4-0) vs. Notre Dame When: Saturday at 7 p.m. Where: Dedeaux Field, USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. CAPTION(S): Box Box: SCHEDULE (See text) |
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