Orange League Baseball : Playing at Valencia Manages to Haunt Western Again, 3-1
Hack Mitchell, Western High School baseball coach, is getting to hate Valencia’s park.
Three weeks ago, Western took a 13-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning against Valencia, but the Tigers then scored nine runs. The game ended in a 13-13 tie.
Wednesday’s rematch, although not as dramatic, was even more damaging to Western, as it lost the game and its hold on first place in the Orange League.
Valencia again rallied, this time from a 1-0 deficit. The Tigers came back with some power and a little good fortune to defeat Western, 3-1, and move into a first-place tie with the Pioneers.
“It had to have a psychological effect on us,” Mitchell said. “It was such a disappointing experience. And here we were back in the same park.”
Same park. Same teams. But this time, the scenario was different.
Western had little problem hitting Valencia pitchers Robert Navarette and Mike Edwards in the first meeting. But the two were able to keep the Pioneers off-balance Wednesday, with Edwards (4-1) going the final 1 innings for the victory.
Navarette, who no-hit Savanna in his last outing, gave up five hits in 5 innings. Although he does not have an overpowering fastball, Navarette struck out seven, mostly with his curve.
“We just did not hit the ball as well as I thought we would,” Mitchell said. “A lot of the credit goes to Navarette. He can throw that breaking pitch for strikes. That’s a real advantage for a pitcher at this level.”
Still, Western (10-6-1, 4-1-1) held a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the fifth. With one out, Manny Rodriguez looped a single down the right-field line and continued to second when first baseman Anthony Davis kicked the ball. Rodriguez went to third on a bunt single by Troy Babbitt and scored on a sacrifice fly by Doug McConathy.
But, that was the extent of the Pioneer offense.
Navarette’s home run evened the score in the fifth, driving the first pitch off loser Mark Holiday (3-2) over the 340-foot sign in right-center field.
In the Valencia sixth, Keef Leasure and Davis both hit ground-ball singles. After David Angel walked to load the bases, Ben Reddel hit what appeared to be a double-play ball to McConathy at third base. But the ball went through McConathy’s legs, scoring Leasure to give the Tigers (8-4-1, 4-1-1) a 2-1 lead. Randy Roskelly followed with a fly to right, deep enough to score Davis for a 3-1 lead.
Edwards retired the side in order in the seventh for the victory.
“I knew if we held them to one run, we’d win,” Valencia Coach Kevin McConnell said. “I knew they we weren’t going to be shut out. I knew we were going to score more than one run.”
Magnolia 4, Brea-Olinda 1--Marty Neff pitched a four-hitter and hit a two-run home run in the third inning for visiting Magnolia (3-2-1 in league). Joe Zink had three hits and an RBI for Brea-Olinda (4-11, 2-3-1).
Anaheim 7, Savanna 2--Jose Gonzales had two doubles to lead host Anaheim (7-8, 3-3). Luis Medina (1-0) pitched a complete game.
