FREEWAY LEAGUE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : The Force Isn’t With Buena Park; Fullerton Wins Title

Fullerton clinched its first Freeway League baseball championship since 1988 in dramatic fashion Tuesday afternoon. After a close play at home plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Indians wound up with a 4-3 victory over visiting Buena Park.

With the score tied, 3-3, the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, pinch-hitter David Knight hit a bouncer off the glove of Buena Park pitcher Alfredo Garcia and into the hands of Louie Peraza charging in from shortstop.

Peraza threw home, but catcher Roger Montenegro was unable to step on the plate for the force. Cameron McMackin slid under the tag for the winning run that ended Buena Park’s hopes for a share of the title.

“It was exciting to win it in the bottom of the seventh like that,” Fullerton Coach Dolf Hess said. “I hate to see us wait until the last minute like that, but that’s how we’ve been coming through all season.”

Buena Park (11-10, 8-6 in league) got to Fullerton’s winning pitcher Jerry Martinez for two runs in the first inning on run-scoring singles by Garcia and Jesus Lopez.

Fullerton (16-7, 11-3) came back with three runs in the bottom of the first when Keith Ginter’s single drove in Dan Chacon and McMackin had two runs batted in with a line-drive double down the left-field line.

Garcia drove in his second run with a single to right to tie the score at 3-3 in the third inning. The Coyotes had runners on first and third with one out, but Lopez grounded into a force at second and Angel Barrios lined out to third baseman Ginter, who doubled Garcia off the bag at first.

Buena Park had another opportunity to score in the top of the fourth, when the Coyotes loaded the bases with one out. Martinez got Mark Rugprayoon to hit a bouncer back to the mound. Martinez threw to catcher Paul Halpin for a force at the plate and Halpin threw to first for another key double play.

In another league game:

Troy 6, Sonora 4--James Hartford’s two-run home run in the eighth inning broke a 4-4 tie for host Troy (9-13, 7-7). Teammate Brian Burchit had three RBIs. Todd Vorell’s single drove in Joey Gomez in the sixth with the tying run for Sonora (7-17, 3-11).