3-A DIVISION FINAL : Huntington Park Sees Title Slip Away : Baseball: Errors hurt the Spartans in 2-1 loss at Dodger Stadium, but the underdogs make it tough on Franklin.

By SEAN WATERS

June 12, 1994 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Huntington Park High baseball players discovered what it is like to play at Dodger Stadium.

To dress in a locker room that smells of liniment.

To have their names announced over a public address system.

And to dirty their uniforms with red brick clay from the infield.

For one day, the Spartans felt and played like Dodgers. They even made a couple of Dodger-size errors that cost them a 2-1 game against Franklin on Monday in the City Section 3-A Division finals.

For the record, Franklin’s Oscar Cabrera drove in the winning run with a double to the left in the fifth inning. But the first and most crucial run came in the fourth.

With two outs, Franklin’s Lorenso Marquez hit a slow grounder to shortstop Hugo Villagrana and beat the throw to first. “The second base umpire told me he thought he was out,” Villagrana said.

First baseman Armando Matos made two consecutive errors, dropping the ball on a pick-off play and failing to catch a throw from Villagrana. The second error allowed Marquez to score.

“It hit the wrong part of the glove and just bounced out,” Matos said about the potential groundout.

Chris Barojas singled and Franklin entered the top of the fifth one run richer at the expense of pitcher Mario Arambula (6-4). “I felt confident with every pitch I threw,” the left-handed pitcher said. “We had our chances.”

Matos made amends by driving in a run with a single, the Spartans’ third consecutive hit to start the fifth. But Franklin pitcher Ricky Catano got the next three batters to snuff out the rally.

Trailing 2-1, Huntington Park threatened again in the sixth. Juan Garcia singled and moved to second on Jaime Ornelas’ sacrifice bunt. But Villagrana’s single to right was not deep enough to score Garcia from second.

“I wanted to keep the momentum going and avoid the big out,” Huntington Park Coach Mark Chacon said about holding Garcia at third.

But the big out turned out to be the one that Huntington Park let slip in the fourth. While many Spartans expressed their sorrow, Villagrana remained excited about his big league experience.

“Oh, man, it was the greatest feeling to be at Dodger Stadium,” he said. “I would have had tears in my eyes if we had won. But I’m happy to be here.”