Holt-Goodman Baseball Tournament : Poly Suffers 1st Loss in 2nd Round

Poly High fell from the ranks of the unbeaten Saturday, losing to Venice, 9-8, in a second-round game in the Holt-Goodman baseball tournament at Poly.

“We were all tired, it has been a long day and it was very hot out there,” Poly All-City pitcher Greg Nealon said.

Poly led, 5-2, going into the fifth inning. Parrot starter David Gomez then gave up a single and a double before giving way to reliever and losing pitcher German Miranda (0-1), who hit two batters, walked one and allowed a run-scoring single before Coach Jerry Cord brought in Nealon.

With his team trailing, 6-5, and the bases loaded with nobody out, Nealon struck out two Venice batters before giving up a line single to right that scored two. Nealon almost gave up another run when Venice right fielder Jason Shea tried to score from first on Todd Salkoski’s double down the left-field line. Shea was thrown out at the plate by Poly shortstop Mark David, who took a relay throw from left fielder David Corral.

Poly (8-1) mounted one last comeback in the seventh while trailing, 9-6. Catcher Rodrigo Fuentes led off with a walk and scored on pinch-hitter Harold Whiteside’s double.

Venice reliever Salkoski retired the next two Poly batters. With Whiteside still on second, Abel Trujillo reached first on a walk. Adulfo Hernandez then hit a routine grounder that went under Venice second baseman Damian Valdivia’s glove, allowing Whiteside to score. Trujillo, representing the tying run, advanced to third. Poly center fielder Luis Porres then grounded out to end the game.

“We didn’t give up, we came back,” Cord said. “The kids have to learn to lose, too. It’s good for them.”

Poly had advanced in the winners’ bracket to play Venice (5-4-1) after beating San Pedro, 8-6, in a first-round game played earlier in the day.

Nealon (5-0) picked up the victory against San Pedro. He left the game with his team holding an 8-1 lead after allowing one run and one hit in four innings.

“It was just a question of how long I needed Nealon to stay in,” Cord said.

David Giatti replaced Nealon in the fifth inning.

Giatti pitched well until the seventh, when he allowed San Pedro to close the score to 8-6 before getting the final out on a relay to the plate.

“Nealon just put his shoes back on and was coming back in when the final out was made,” Cord said.