BASEBALL NOTEBOOK: AFTER EARLIER TRIUMPHS, A.V. CLUB HITS WALL AT AAU.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

It was harder than they thought.

Members of the Southern California Indians went outside the hotel to see off some of their teammates at the end of the recent AAU baseball national tournament in Orlando, Fla. They ended up taking more than half an hour to say good bye.

``There were a lot of tears shed,'' Indians coach Ron Anello said.

What happened during the tournament was just as difficult for the Palmdale-based 18-and-under team.

The Indians experienced an earlier exit than anticipated when they went 2-6.

``We didn't really do as well as we could have, should have or wanted to,'' Anello said. ``On the bright side, it was a good in trip in that all the games were within three runs.''

The Indians entered the 60-team tournament with a .423 team batting average, but just four players hit at least .400 in their final event of the season.

Highland High's John Santor batted .412 and hit the Indians only home run as a pinch hitter in victory against Ohio.

The Indians' other win came in their second game when John Anello hit a two-strike, two-out pitch off the fence to drive in the tying and winning runs in the seventh inning. The Antelope Valley College sophomore hit .400 and led the team in RBI.

Rob Cowan and Adam Gardner both hit better than .450. James Lang pitched a combined 10 shutout innings, giving up only three singles.

Prior to Orlando, the Indians had swept two tournaments, placed second in one and was rained out of another final.

``Going to Florida and doing what we did was a little bit of a disappointment,'' Ron Anello said.

Injuries were part of the Indians' problem.

Shortstop and leadoff man Anthony Trejo complained of feeling sick and ended up missing a few games when he was taken to the hospital. First baseman Brandon Golphenee came out a game when he was shouldered in the sternum by a baserunner and missed the next game.

``That kind of put us behind the eight-ball a little bit,'' Anello said.

Let's do it again next year: Many of the Indians won't be eligible for 18-and-under level play next year, but the team might have another opportunity to play together.

The possibility of a wooden-bat national tournament for older players has been discussed for next summer.

``All my guys said, `No matter what, we want to go,' '' Ron Anello said.

Representing America: Matt Harrington played for his country last summer as a member of the USA junior national team. The Palmdale right-hander is representing the United State again this summer as one of two players from the region selected to play in Goodwill Series XII. Harrington and Highland outfielder/pitcher Jason Kubel were picked by professional scouts during last week's Area Code Games to play against Japan's top amateur players. After games in Somerset, N.J., and Cooperstown, N.Y., the series comes to Long Beach, Sept. 4-6 at Blair Field.

Harrington's 94-mph pitches at the Area Code Games tied for the fastest at the week-long event.

Kubel's hot hitting at the Games followed an outburst of power at the CABA World Series in Cleveland. The incoming senior led his team to the championship by hitting five home runs in 12 games.