Gulls Keep Winning but Can’t Gain Ground on Angels

With 22 wins in their last 28 games, including Saturday’s 6-5 victory over Visalia in 10 innings, the Ventura County Gulls are one of the hottest teams in organized baseball.

But you wouldn’t know it by the standings in the California League’s Southern Division. The Gulls trail the Palm Springs Angels by four games. Despite its hot streak, Ventura County has picked up a mere half game on the Angels in a month.

When a player becomes too good for Class-A, he is moved up a notch. Perhaps the entire Palm Springs franchise should be promoted to a Double-A league.

Palm Springs is 40-17 and showing no signs of a letup. Palm Springs defeated San Jose on Saturday, 5-0.

At Ventura College, Luis Reyna’s home run to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Gulls their second straight comeback win over the Oaks.

Visalia had led, 5-3, in the ninth inning, but a two-run single by Domingo Martinez forced extra innings. Greg Myers and Geronimo Berroa led off the ninth with consecutive infield singles, and following a sacrifice bunt by Jim Bishop, Martinez came through with a line drive to left field.

The Gulls erased a deficit in the sixth inning as well, wiping out a 3-0 Visalia lead with a three-run inning. After Eric Yelding singled and Reyna doubled, Santiago Garcia’s single scored Yelding. Darryl Landrum drove in Reyna with a sacrifice fly, and Garcia came home to tie the score when Visalia catcher Henry Gatewood could not hold a throw from center fielder Tommy Thomas.

Mark Dickman improved his record to 5-0 by shutting down Visalia over the final 2 innings. A double play on a smash to first baseman Martinez aided Dickman in the 10th.

Left-hander Jeff Musselman, who leads the league with 94 strikeouts, pitched 7 innings for the Gulls and allowed 10 hits. He was replaced after allowing a two-run single to Gary Borg in the eighth.

Six Visalia players had two hits each, and Ventura’s Reyna, Yelding, Berroa, Bishop and Martinez had two-hit games as the teams combined for 25 hits.

Visalia starting pitcher Robert Tabeling (2-7) did not get a decision for the first time this season. Ray Velasquez (0-2) took the loss after surrendering the home run to Reyna.

Gull Notes

Gulls Manager Glenn Ezell is in Texas visiting his wife and daughter. He is scheduled to return to Ventura on Tuesday. Coach Alfredo Ortiz is managing the Gulls until Ezell returns. . . . Visalia second baseman Tim Senne played at Cal Lutheran University from 1981 through 1984. Mike Senne, Tim’s brother, is a left fielder for the University of Arizona and is currently playing in the College World Series. Mike played at Cal Lutheran in 1982.