COLLEGE BASEBALL STATE REGIONAL FINALS : Inglehart Lifts Pierce in a Pinch

Anyone who has spent countless innings “watching it from the bench” can have a special appreciation for Pierce College sophomore Chris Inglehart’s accomplishment Friday.

Called on to pinch-hit with the bases loaded and his team trailing by a run in the bottom of the eighth inning, Inglehart delivered a bases-clearing triple high off the right-field fence to ignite Pierce to a 7-4 victory over visiting Riverside in a first-round game of the Southern California regional finals.

“I’ll sit out all season to come up and do that again,” said a pumped-up Inglehart, who entered the game with only 37 at-bats. “When you don’t get in all the games, every at-bat is critical.

“With the bases loaded, you’ve got to be psyched. You live for those at-bats.”

Inglehart’s triple, which came with one out and was followed by Erik Martinez’s sacrifice fly, capped a dramatic turn of events and put Pierce (31-6-1) in today’s 11 a.m. winners’ bracket game against visiting Rancho Santiago (29-12).

“What can you say?” Pierce Coach Bob Lofrano said after his team won its third come-from-behind playoff game in a row. “There is no one we’re more happy for than Inglehart. He’s a reserve. (But) he just gets ready for when he’s called on.”

Inglehart, a former all-league player at Calabasas High, wasn’t the only one who was ready when his number came up.

Pierce, seeded No. 1 in the Southern region, was cruising along with a 3-0 lead through seven innings before things slowly unraveled for Brahma starter Mike Eby.

It began when Eby began the eighth by walking Darvin Traylor, Eby’s sixth walk. With two out, Bobby Jones singled to drive in Traylor and Shaun Sanderfer followed with a single to chase Eby.

When Lofrano called on right-hander Chris Brown, Riverside countered with 5-foot-9, 225-pound pinch-hitter Ruben Hernandez--a pitcher who entered the game with one extra-base hit all season.

Moments later, Hernandez had No. 2 as he drilled Brown’s first offering over the fence in right for a three-run homer and a 4-3 Riverside lead.

“I was visualizing today and I visualized that we would win, 4-3, and I thought I would have something to do with it,” said Hernandez, who entered the game with just two hits in 17 at-bats.

However, Riverside reliever Gus Castro (4-1) hit Brian Smith to lead off the eighth and Robby Welles followed with a walk.

Facing reliever Jeff Shinar, Pierce’s Josh Smaler laid down a successful sacrifice bunt and Shinar intentionally walked Ricky Banuelos to set the stage for Inglehart. After seeing ball one, Inglehart jumped on the next pitch and didn’t stop running until he had a face full of dirt from a dive into third.

Brown (8-3) gave up a harmless single in the top of the ninth en route to the win.

Riverside will meet Mt. San Antonio (29-16), a 9-7 loser to Rancho Santiago on Friday, in today’s 10 a.m. losers’ bracket game at Moorpark College. The winner will meet the Pierce-Rancho Santiago loser today at 3 p.m. at Pierce.