SANTA ANA — Gavin Grahovac had struck out only six times in 100 plate appearances going into Villa Park’s baseball game Wednesday against Huntington Beach in the Boras Classic South tournament.

He struck out in his first two at-bats Wednesday. On his third at-bat, he struck the ball well beyond the left-field fence for a grand slam in Villa Park’s 7-2 win over Huntington Beach in a second-round game at Mater Dei High.

Villa Park advances to the tournament’s semifinals. The Spartans (22-2) will play the winner of the Pt. Loma-Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks second-round game on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Mater Dei.

The Boras Classic South is a prestigious event. Eight of the tournament’s 16 teams in the state top 25 rankings by Prep Baseball Report. In the Orange County top 25 Huntington Beach is No. 2 and Villa Park is No. 3.

Grahovac admitted that the game, and what it meant for Villa Park, created some nerves among the Spartans.

“I was a little amped up for this game,” said Grahovac, a right-handed hitting shortstop who committed to Texas A&M. “I think we all were. It took some time to adjust, but once we got into it, it was a team effort from there.”

Huntington Beach (16-7) had a 2-0 lead through four innings. Oilers pitcher Matt Lopez had eight strikeouts going into the fifth and had driven in his team’s first run in the second inning with a double off of the left-field fence. Dean Carpentier drove in the Oilers’ second run in the fourth when he punched a single through the left side of a drawn-in infield.

Britton Beeson led off the Villa Park fifth inning with a walk, Justin Tims was hit by a pitch and Gavin Rossi walked to load the bases. Grahovac’s smash was loud and even with its high trajectory the ball cleared the left-field fence in a hurry.

To hit the ball like that after the two strikeouts might have impressed the several scouts in the stands as much as it impressed Villa Park coach Burt Call.

“He makes in-game adjustments really well,” Call said. “He figures it out. He did a really good job being patient there when he hit the grand slam.”

Grahovac’s grand slam, his third home run of the season, put the Spartans on top 4-2.

Rossi hit a solo home run in the seventh inning. After Grahovac hit an opposite-field double down the right-field line, Geoff McArthur homered to left to make it 7-2.

Villa Park junior Gavin Grahovac, a top prospect (Texas A&M commit), talks about his grand slam after striking out his first two ABs in a 7-2 win over Huntington Beach @TheBorasClassic @mikehuntley63 @ocvarsityguy pic.twitter.com/djuvYzD0DG

— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) April 21, 2022

Villa Park junior right-hander AJ Krodel pitched a complete game. He gave up seven hits, no walks and struck out four. Krodel, who committed to UC Santa Barbaria, is 7-0 with a 1.84 ERA.

The Spartans turned three double plays, including two inning-ending double plays, and made no errors.

Grahovac, batting .393 with a team-high 19 RBIs, said Wednesday’s all-around play is a staple of Villa Park baseball.

“It’s perfection,” he said. “That’s what we try to do day in and day out, to try to be a championship team.”

Also in the Boras Classic South:

JSerra 12, St. Augustine of San Diego 5: The Lions (14-9) got production from up and down their lineup in their second-round win at JSerra. The Lions batted around in the first, third and fifth innings.

JSerra will play the winner of the Orange Lutheran-La Mirada second-round game in the semifinals Thursday at 6 p.m. at JSerra.