Baseball: Servite’s Ricky Bielski gets his moment in the spotlight

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Senior Ricky Bielski of Anaheim Servite has waited patiently for the opportunity to pitch in big games. He has finally convinced his coaches to give him a chance, and he responded on Thursday by outdueling El Toro ace Tyler Brashears to come away with a 2-0 victory in a semifinal game of the Loara tournament.

Bielski threw a four-hitter, striking out four and walking four. El Toro (3-1) had at least one runner on base in every inning but the seventh. With each challenge, Bielski would find a way to get out of the jam.

‘That’s when I do best,’ he said. ‘I always pitch better in hard situations.’

UCLA-bound Darrell Miller Jr. had an RBI single in the first inning off Brashears, who was 11-2 last season and has signed with UC Irvine. The only other run came on a bases loaded hit batter in the third.

‘I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,’ said Bielski, a 6-foot-3 right-hander. ‘Just getting the chance . . . amazing.’

Servite is 4-0 under first-year Coach Jeff Sears, who took the job after being successful at Laguna Beach. The team is playing well on defense and executing. Next week, the Friars begin Trinity League play. But first up is a championship game on Saturday night at Glover Field in Anaheim against Aliso Niguel, which beat Dana Hills, 5-3, in nine innings in the other semifinal. Matt Molnar drove in the winning runs.

-- Eric Sondheimer