By John Klima
June 4, 2006

ANAHEIM  On the final play of the game, pitcher Matt Grace dove to cover the bag on a bang-bang play at first. When he hopped to his feet, the left-handed pitcher spiked his glove on the grass like a wide receiver after a game-winning touchdown, then disappeared in a dog pile of his teammates.

In a game that completed the emergence of the Palos Verdes baseball program, Grace solidified his ascension as a premier high school left-hander with a commanding six-hit performance in which he walked none, got stronger as the game wore on, and defeated defending champion El Segundo, 7-1, Saturday in the CIF Division IV championship game at Angel Stadium.

The front of Graces uniform was a big league white to begin the game and little league dirty at the end. He dominated the game like no other player, including El Segundo senior shortstop Robi Estrada, who was possibly playing his last competitive amateur game before the major league draft on Tuesday.

Grace gave up his only run in the third inning  on Estradas RBI ground out  and also went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles. He also got thrown out at the plate, stole a base, and got caught in a run down. On a major league field where players sometimes look smaller than they really are, Grace played larger than the rest.

I like it dirty, Grace said, dusting off his jersey. If theres a game where you want to get it dirty, this is the one.

Added catcher Jacob Meskin: He kind of likes to slide head first.

Grace (11-1) did it with the help of a Palos Verdes (29-2) plan that called for chipping away at El Segundo senior left-hander Austin Meick (3-2), who pitched El Segundo (25-10) to the championship on the Angel Stadium mound a year ago.

But on the fifth pitch of the game, shortstop Bryce Ortega took a chip of yellow paint off the left field foul pole when he hit Meicks 0-and-1 fastball for a solo home run.

The Sea Kings, which won 14 consecutive games to finish the season and beat Pioneer League rival El Segundo three times this season, stole five bases, sacrificed over four runners, and turned double plays in the fifth and sixth inning. They had only two extra-base hits among their 11, and 30-year old coach Evan Fujinaga, in only his third varsity year, beat 73-year old John Stevenson, who finished his 47th season with 998 career victories.

Coach Fujinaga deserves tons of credit, said Stevenson, who fell to 7-6 in CIF title games. He had those guys as sophomores, and they were not very good. As juniors they were tough. Now, as a mix of juniors and seniors, thats a very good club.

Grace, a junior, gave up his only run in the third inning to allow El Segundo to tie the score, 1-1, but didnt unravel.

He was unbelievable in this type of environment, said Fujinaga. He came out of the chute slow, but he really found himself.

I was trying to do too much in the first few innings, Grace said The last two innings is the best Ive ever felt.

Grace needed 103 pitches to beat El Segundo in May. He needed 78 pitches this time. He chose efficiency over power, striking out only two and needing only 30 pitches to get through the final four innings.

Palos Verdes precision picked apart El Segundo in the sixth inning. Long a team that demands fundamentals under the watchful eye of Stevenson, bad luck and mistakes melted their season.

Meick walked Meskin to start the inning, who stole second base. Grace bunted. First baseman Taylor Adlam charged, but missed his swipe tag on Grace and threw to third in an attempt to get Meskin. Adlams throw beat Meskin, but third baseman Luis Vizcaino appeared to miss the tag, leaving runners on the corners with nobody out.

Bob Hosken followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Meskin and give Palos Verdes a 3-1 lead. Dean Mraz then supplied the first of three consecutive singles, with Grace going from first to third.

Marc Venning followed with an RBI single to score Grace, and on the next play, Andy Blankenship hit a sharp ground ball to Estrada. The ball took a wicked hop off the cut of the grass and hit Estrada in the mouth, knocking out one of his front teeth. Blankenship was credited with an RBI single to complete Palos Verdes decisive four-run inning.

Play was halted as trainers tried to push Estradas tooth back in. He returned to finish the game and was taken to a dentist after the game.

When we got the tying run (in the third), that was the time we needed to establish ourselves, Stevenson said. The way I look at is, when youre tied in the fourth and youre the home team, the odds are in your favor.

But Meicks season-long sore elbow finally caught up to El Segundo. Meick, who threw a four-hitter in the championship game an Angel Stadium last year, pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up eight hits and six runs (five earned) with one walk and only three strikeouts.

Palos Verdes hitters said Meick was tipping his curveball and that his fastball was a notch below what it has been in the past.

With a five-run lead, Grace increased his intensity. Meskin and Fujinaga said the last two innings where the best Grace has thrown all season, with strong fastballs pummeling a low strike zone. Palos Verdes turned a 4-6-3 double play in the fifth. Grace retired five of the last six batters he faced.

Meick reached first base after striking out on Meskins passed ball, but Tyler Moon (2-for-3) hit a shot to first baseman Venning, who made the catch and touched the bag for an unassisted inning-ending double play. Grace allowed a pinch-hit single to Rey Lopez, and then got Jeff Dorman (2-for-3) to ground out.