EMPIRE LEAGUE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Flores Gets Complete Game as El Dorado Beats Cypress
Benito Flores looked forward to the meeting for more than 10 months and he would not accept another loss.
So when things began unraveling around the El Dorado High pitcher against Cypress, Flores did what he promised himself he would: He took charge.
The senior left-hander worked out of a sixth-inning jam and pitched a complete game in leading El Dorado to a 4-1 victory in an Empire League baseball opener Friday at El Dorado.
Flores (2-1) pitched a five-hitter and struck out seven for El Dorado (6-2, 1-0 in league play).
Pitching with a 4-0 lead entering the sixth, Flores gave up three hits and Cypress’ only run when the Centurions’ leadoff hitter, senior Ray Rios (three for three), scored on a one-out single by junior first baseman Brian Flanagan. Flanagan took second on a passed ball to give Cypress runners on second and third, but Flores ended the threat by striking out the next two batters.
The victory was especially gratifying for Flores and El Dorado because Cypress (4-3, 0-1) defeated El Dorado, 4-2, in the final game of the 1993 regular season, which kept the Golden Hawks out of the playoffs for only the third time in 13 seasons.
“I took it personal; we all did,” Flores said. “We all thought about this game every time we went to practice.”
Cypress senior right-hander Tim Larsen (1-2) was the winner in last season’s showdown. Larsen pitched a complete game Friday, but he did not have his best stuff.
The first three hitters in the Golden Hawks’ lineup (Ryan Reyes, Chris Beck and Jeff Moore) each were two for three. Beck, a junior third baseman, scored El Dorado’s first run in the bottom of the first when senior right fielder Dante Spencer grounded out.
The Golden Hawks scored three runs in the third inning to take control. Moore’s second home run of the season, which traveled approximately 360 feet and landed over the fence in right-center field, also drove in Beck.
In other league games:
Los Alamitos 5, Loara 3 (6, darkness)--Myles Campbell struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings for the visiting Griffins. Catcher Mark Ukleja hit a two-run homer in the third and Kevin Feterik went two for three with a double and a run scored for Los Alamitos (4-3, 1-0). Jeff Roncevich (1-2) took the loss for Loara (3-4, 0-1).
Katella 6, Esperanza 2--Jaret Wright pitched a three-hitter, striking out 10, and homered for visiting Katella (3-3, 1-0). Esperanza is 3-4, 0-1.