No. 12 Takes Ruscitto, Valencia Long Way

Valencia High School’s Andy Ruscitto needed only one swing to settle what others had agonized over for nearly three hours Wednesday afternoon. Ruscitto provided a high-drama finish to a game that had become a comedy of errors.

After 12 errors, 25 hits, 10 walks and 21 runs, Ruscitto hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Tigers a 12-11 win over Western on the Valencia field. It was Ruscitto’s 12th home run of the season, and it leaves Valencia and Western tied for first place in the Orange League standings at 10-4 with one regular-season game remaining.

Ruscitto set an Orange County record with his 11th homer in last Friday’s 15-10 win over Magnolia. That hit helped Valencia come back from a 10-6 deficit to stay in contention for the league title, but it doesn’t match No. 12 for impact and appeal.

Said Valencia catcher Ron Terrill: “That beats all 11 of them.”

Jim Campanis led off the Valencia seventh with a single to left field off Western ace David Tellers. Tellers worked the count to Ruscitto to 1-1 before throwing a high breaking ball that Ruscitto sent over the 295-foot sign in right field, the shortest part of the ballpark. Afterward, Ruscitto was greeted by a group of reporters after helping Campanis remove the flag from its pole in center field. The soft-spoken junior was asked how he felt when he realized the ball was out.

“No different really,” he said. “I was just trying to help the team.”

Campanis knew better.

“I think he’s jumping up and down inside,” Campanis said. “As we were walking out to the flag, he said, ‘This one meant something.’ ”

Had it not been for some charitable defense on the part of Valencia, Ruscitto might not have had the chance for his most meaningful home run. The Tigers took a 7-6 lead into the fifth inning, but committed three straight errors to help the Pioneers get back in the game.

Campanis let a ground ball hit by Chris Chase get through, then threw away a potential double play on a ground ball hit by John Tellers. First baseman Tim Churchill mishandled Mike Frabotta’s ground ball and Rich Lodding singled to load the bases. Robert Harrison singled to tie it at 7-7, and John Ortiz walked to force in the go-ahead run.

That prompted Valencia Coach Kevin McConnell to go to his bullpen and left-hander Shayne Smith. David Brown, who finished the day 3 for 5 with four RBIs, greeted Smith with a two-run single to left, and Eric Kawamoto followed with a base hit that extended Western’s lead to 11-7.

Smith held the Pioneers scoreless from that point, and Valencia came back in the bottom of the fifth to score three runs on one hit, one walk, one hit batsman and two Western errors, cutting the deficit to 11-10.

Ruscitto did the rest with one swing.

In other Orange League action:

Brea-Olinda 8, Magnolia 4--Brea pitcher David Kain went 2 for 3 with two doubles and two RBIs to lead the Wildcats to the win at home. Brea (6-8, 8-13) also got help from Mark Dountz, who went 2 for 3, including a double and three RBIs.

Savanna 14, Anaheim 7--The Rebels took advantage of eight Colonist errors to win at Anaheim. Savanna scored five runs in the second inning and got three runs in the fourth on Robert Brocki’s home run. Winning pitcher Robert Lee threw five innings and struck out four. Brocki was 2 for 3 with five RBIs. Tim Wickell was 2 for 2 with two RBIs.