COLLEGE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : 4 Runs in Ninth Keep Mission on Pace in SCAC Race

For several innings, Mission College baseball Coach John Klitsner implored his players to take charge. He had little success.

But just when things seemed hopeless, the Free Spirit responded with one of their most impressive rallies of the season to pull out an improbable 7-4 victory over East Los Angeles in a Southern California Athletic Conference game Wednesday.

Mission (22-14, 14-7 in conference play) knocked off the Huskies (16-16, 9-8) with a four-run outburst with two out in the ninth to set up an important three-game series with Cerro Coso starting Saturday.

The Free Spirit trailed Cerro Coso (12-5) by one-half game before Wednesday’s action. The teams will meet in a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Saturday at Mission and in one game Wednesday at Cerro Coso.

But East L.A. almost pushed Mission a little farther from first place.

The Huskies led, 4-3, with two out in the ninth when Jesus Perez slapped a single to left on a full count that chased left-hander Aaron Magdaleno, who had scattered eight hits.

Right-hander Sammy Loza, the ace of the Husky bullpen with six saves, relieved Magdaleno but was greeted with a single by Dave Valdez and a two-run double by Gary Matthews that gave Mission the tying and go-ahead runs.

Clean-up hitter Dereck Ornelas drove in Matthews with a single, took second on an error by the left fielder and scored on a hit to right field by Rob Walley.

Francisco Flores followed with Mission’s sixth consecutive hit but Loza retired John Toven on a grounder to second for the final out.

“We were waiting for someone to stand up and get things rolling and Matthews did,” Klitsner said. “The guys got excited and started swinging.”

Right-hander Robert Ballester, a freshman from Monroe High, pitched a strong 7 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on five hits and one walk, and striking out five.

He gave way to John Romero (4-4), who finished the eighth inning and picked up the victory, and Ray Rivera got his first save of the season.

Klitsner said Rivera (10-2), a freshman right-hander from San Fernando High who has become the ace of the staff, will pitch one of the two games against Cerro Coso on Saturday and start again Wednesday.

Matthews, who drove in the first Mission run with a double in the first, was three for five with three RBIs, and Valdez and Walley each also had three hits.

Eduardo Arrieta, who homered in the fifth, and Ramon Ruiz each collected two hits for the Huskies.

In another game:

Westmont 4, Cal Lutheran 1--Marc Weiss gave up three runs to the Warriors (23-14) in the first inning on two walks and three hits to take his first loss for Cal Lutheran (21-5-1) at Thousand Oaks.

Weiss (7-1), a junior transfer from Cal State L.A., lasted only into the third inning before being replaced by David Jaglowski.

The Kingsmen’s only run in the nonconference game came in the fourth inning when John Becker grounded into a double play to score Scott Sebbo from third base.

Singles by Sebbo and Chris Fick opened the inning.

Outfielder Jason Wilson notched his team-high 21st stolen base for Cal Lutheran.