El Segundo Rallies to Beat West

El Segundo baseball Coach John Stevenson wouldn’t say the Eagles’ 6-5 eight-inning victory over West Torrance was lucky.

But El Segundo, which rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning, needed its share of breaks to rally for the Pioneer League victory Wednesday night at Recreation Park.

“A few things worked out for us,” Stevenson said. “Actually, a lot of things went right.”

Marco Estrada scored from third with the winning run with one out in the eighth after catcher Brian Belliveaul was unable to stop a pitch in the dirt.

El Segundo (14-5) improved to 9-1 in league and opened a one-game lead over second-place West (13-7-1, 6-2-1). The teams will meet again Friday night at 7:30 at Recreation Park.

Estrada reached second to start the eighth after West reliever Jason McMinn overthrew first base after fielding a ground ball.

McMinn walked two batters in a row to load the bases before the game-ending passed ball.

The Eagles scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score, 5-5.

With two outs and runners at first and third, sophomore right fielder Pat Cappasola blooped a single to shallow right field to score David Scanlan with the tying run.

“This game meant a lot to us,” Cappasola said. “We were a little shaky, but we didn’t give up.”

West was unable to capitalize on a scoring opportunity in the top of the eighth.

Paul Berwnick was thrown out trying to steal home. Berwnick, pinch-running for Duanne Dinnocente, who singled to start the inning, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch.

West starter Hauss Hancock struck out nine and gave up four hits in six innings.

“He pitched a good game,” West Coach Harry Jenkins said. “We were going to go with him as long as we could.”

Hancock, who transferred to West from El Segundo in the fall, walked nine batters, including the first two of the seventh inning, before making way for McMinn.

McMinn (3-1) hit David Scanlan with a pitch to load the bases and walked Jeff Kalsbeek to force in a run to cut the deficit to 5-3. Alfredo Walters drove in a run to bring El Segundo within 5-4.

West scored five runs off starter Jamin Kear to take a 5-2 lead in the fourth inning. Kirk Bolling singled in a run and Jim Yates doubled in another.

West scored three runs in the third to overcome a 2-0 deficit.

Belliveaul singled up the middle to score Grady Sain and Nicholson to give the Warriors a 3-2 lead. Sain drove in Mike Vasquez, who had doubled, for the Warriors’ first run.

El Segundo, with the help of two West errors, took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Jim Zambarelli doubled to right-center field to score Marco Estrada from first. McCloskey scored after Nicholson misplayed an infield ground ball.