GRANT UNDONE BY ECR'S BIG INNING CONQUISTADORES GET FIVE RUNS IN FOURTH EL CAMINO REAL 12, GRANT 3.

Byline: Chris Branam Staff Writer

They played seven innings, and indeed, the Grant High of Van Nuys baseball team recorded 21 outs against El Camino Real of Woodland Hills Tuesday.

But there were three outs in the fourth that seemed to take Grant forever to get. That inning did in the Lancers; fourth-ranked ECR scored five runs and went on to win 12-3 in a Daily News Invitational first-round game at Grant.

The Conquistadores (1-0) had 17 hits, but ECR also benefited from four Grant errors in the fourth that turned a one-run game (3-2) into a rout.

``I'm just a little disappointed we couldn't play catch,'' Grant coach Jeremy Lawrence said. ``We were one inning away from being seriously competitive.''

On paper the matchup was the most attractive of the first day of the invitational. Grant (0-1) made the championship game of this tournament last year, losing to Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks at USC. ECR won the L.A. City title in 1997 and '98 and lost in the semifinals last year.

But Grant didn't have top pitcher Michael Marble, who hurt his left (nonthrowing) shoulder in a collision in the school's alumni game last weekend. Without Marble, Lawrence chose left-hander Moises Saldivar, a hefty junior who gave up eight runs in five innings. Only three runs were earned.

``I'd like to have the chance to go with our No. 1 (pitcher) against their No. 1,'' Lawrence said. ``If we play any type of defense behind (Saldivar. . . .''

ECR also had a lineup shuffle. Starting third baseman Beau Savage was hit in the face by a throw in warmups and scratched from the game. Savage's replacement, Kenton Morris, was spiked in the third and also went to the bench.

``We started off a little ugly,'' ECR coach Bob Ganssle said, remembering his team's uncomfortable one-run lead through three innings. ``We had several injuries. We had some kids step up and they got us through the ballgame.''

Every ECR starter had at least one hit, including Morris, who lined a two-run single in the first before he got hurt.

Senior shortstop Conor Jackson and senior right-fielder Sean McElroy, the Conquistadores' two Division-I bound players, had back-to-back home runs - on consecutive pitches - in the sixth.

Jackson, who signed with Miami, walked in his first two at-bats, hit an infield single in his third, homered in his fourth and had a sacrifice fly in his final at-bat. He only saw five strikes in four official plate appearances but scored four runs.

``I'm going to walk,'' Jackson said. ``I know that. I've got to bear it out. Walking is fine with me, as long as the guys behind me are driving me in.''

Junior right-hander Nick Gomez gave up two runs on five hits in five innings and got the win for ECR, which hosts Notre Dame on Friday. The Knights have five players committed to Division I schools.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo: (1) Grant's Moises Saldivar delivers against No. 4-ranked El Camino Real during Tuesday's game at Grant.

(2) El Camino Real's Nick Teslik goes deep in center field to make over-the-shoulders catch during his team's 12-3 season-opening win against Grant.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer