Brucato Is Difference as Mission Viejo Advances

Late last summer, Bob Brucato’s family migrated West from Niles, Ill., settling in Mission Viejo. Brucato said his biggest concern was gaining the acceptance of his peers as a senior at Mission Viejo High School. He had no doubts about his ability to hit and throw a baseball.

Tuesday afternoon, Brucato would have had little trouble winning a popularity contest at Mission Viejo. He wasn’t exactly big on University pitcher Mark Stride’s most congenial list, though.

Brucato hit two home runs off Stride and pitched four innings of relief to record his 11th win of the year, leading Mission Viejo to a 5-2 win over University in the second round of the Southern Section 2-A playoffs on the Diablos’ field. It was Stride’s first defeat of the season, and it brought an end to University’s season just four days after the Trojans had celebrated their first playoff win ever.

Mission Viejo will meet Santa Clara, an 8-1 winner over La Quinta, in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Brucato seems to have made himself quite comfortable on the Mission Viejo campus, particularly when he has a bat or ball in his hands. In two playoff games thus far, he has two wins and has gone 4 for 7 with four RBIs. On the season, he is hitting .473 with 33 RBIs and has a pitching record of 11-0, one victory short of a school record.

“I’m trying to figure out how to get Brucato to hit in every inning,” said Ron Drake, Mission Viejo coach, after Tuesday’s win. “Geez, he’s amazing. He’s just been doing it for us all year long.”

But this game was unique. “I’ve never hit two home runs in a game and got the win before,” Brucato said.

Brucato’s big day began in the bottom of the first inning when, with two outs, he hit a Stride curveball over the left-field fence for his fourth homer of the season. Bob Doran homered to almost the exact spot in the third inning, giving Mission Viejo a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Mission Viejo starter Sean Campbell walked the first two University batters, prompting Drake to make a visit to the mound. With little hesitation, Drake waved Brucato in from his position in right field.

“I was expecting to go into the bullpen after that inning to get loose,” said Brucato, who pitched a complete-game, four-hitter in last Friday’s 5-3 win over Pioneer. “I was shocked. I thought he was bringing someone into right field so I could come out and get warmed up.”

A sacrifice bunt by Brett Howard and bunt single by Todd Krueger loaded the bases. Gene Artiano grounded to second, enabling Jeff Baker to score the Trojans’ first run. Brucato then got Steve Conner to ground out to third to end the inning.

University (13-9) tied it at 2-2 in the fifth when Mark Favorite reached on an error by Mission Viejo shortstop David Hori , stole second, and scored on Baker’s single up the middle. Other than a mild threat in the seventh inning, that was the extent of the damage the Trojans could do against Brucato.

Mission Viejo (18-7) went ahead to stay in the fifth inning. With one out, Doran singled, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Sean Campbell’s ground ball that University shortstop Dave Huegy failed to field cleanly. That gave Mission Viejo a 3-2 lead, and brought Brucato to the plate.

The senior right-hander sent another breaking ball from Stride over the fence in left-center, giving the Diablos a 5-2 lead.

Brucato was surrounded by friends as he crossed the plate.