PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Bennett’s Hit Helps Laguna Hills Beat Estancia

Laguna Hills catcher Casey Bennett lined a two-out, bases-loaded single to right in the bottom of the seventh inning to drive in the winning run and give the Hawks a 5-4 victory over Estancia in a Pacific Coast League game Friday at Laguna Hills High School.

Bennett’s hit capped a two-run rally that handed Estancia pitcher Vic Martinez his first loss. Martinez (5-1) kept the Hawk hitters off stride most of the game, striking out six and walking four, until his control problems got worse in the seventh.

“Martinez tried a little too hard,” Estancia Coach Paul Troxel said. “He was out of rhythm all day. He seemed to be rushing. Maybe he was a little too pumped up.”

Laguna Hills (13-8, 8-1 in league) tied the score after leadoff batter Mike McAloney walked and reached third on a couple of wild pitches. McAloney scored when Estancia center fielder Art Martinez couldn’t come up with Brett Nista’s sinking line drive.

After the Hawks loaded the bases, it appeared Martinez might get out of the inning when he got two consecutive Laguna Hills batters to ground to shortstop Juan Mendoza for two forceouts at the plate.

Estancia (11-6, 5-3) took a 4-1 lead in the second on a pair of two-run singles by Lucas Palmer and Martinez. But Nista reduced the deficit to 4-3 with a fly ball over the 300-foot mark in center field for a two-run homer, his sixth.