UPPER DECK BASEBALL TOURNAMENT : Westminster Christian Rallies to Defeat Esperanza

For a few innings at least, Esperanza knew what it felt like to be winning against the top-ranked baseball team in the nation.

Then Esperanza found out why Miami’s Westminster Christian is considered the No. 1 team in the country.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Westminster Christian’s Alex Rodriguez scored the winning run to help hand the Aztecs a 4-3 loss Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the Upper Deck Tournament at Cal State Fullerton.

“Unbelievable,” said Esperanza senior pitcher Marcus Jones, who went the distance.

That word not only described how his team felt to make Westminster Christian feel hunted, but it also tidily summed up the finish of the game.

Going into the sixth trailing, 2-1, the Warriors (16-2) scored two runs, one on a wild pitch and the other on a two-out double to right field.

Undaunted, Esperanza came back in the top of the seventh to tie it at 3-3. Catcher Jason Murietta went to first when he was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a throwing error by Warrior pitcher Dan Perkins and scored on Bobby Ponce’s hard-hit single up the middle.

But Westminster Christian, playing what Coach Rich Hofman said was one of its most inspired performances of the season, had a little something left. Something by the name of Rodriguez, the senior shortstop pegged to be one of the top five draft picks come June.

With two outs and little breathing room, Rodriguez smacked a single up the middle, stole second, then stole third.

“He’ll probably steal home,” a spectator guessed.

Rodriguez didn’t have to. Teammate Steve Butler hit a drive that got tangled in the feet of Esperanza first baseman Jason Webb, who watched helplessly as Rodriguez scored the winning run.

“He rushed it a little bit,” Esperanza Coach Mike Curran said. “He’s young.”

Jones made a beeline for Webb to explain to him it wasn’t his fault.

“He felt terrible,” Jones said. “He’s just a sophomore. I tried to grab him, pump him up. But I let a pitch get away. That was my responsibility. Jason didn’t lose the game.”

Westminster Christian took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Mandy Jacomino scored from second on J.C. Cleare’s single to right.

The Warriors lost their lead in the fourth. Sal Hernandez was hit by a pitch, stole second, got to third on a throwing error by Perkins and scored on another errant throw by third baseman Jerry Simmons. Poncho Ruiz, who reached on Perkins’ throw, stole second and scored on Jason Murietta’s sharp drive just inside the third-base line.

For Esperanza (9-4), coming so close was a big confidence boost.

“That was by far the best game I’ve ever been in,” Jones said. “Before the game some of the guys were caught up in the emotion of Westminster Christian being No. 1 in the nation, and knowing their tradition. Then we go out there and start to play them and we see that we could beat them. We really could have beaten them.”