In a Flash, Fillmore Pulls Out 5-3 Victory

Nick Blaylock’s two-run home run with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted the Fillmore High baseball team to a 5-3 Tri-Valley League victory over Bishop Diego on Friday at Fillmore.

The Flashes (9-2-1, 4-1-1 in league play) scored twice in the seventh inning to tie the game, 3-3.

Fillmore could have won the game moments later but Jeremy Gregg was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

“We had to fight for our life,” said Fillmore Coach Tom Ecklund, whose team stranded 11 runners. “I was really upset because we left too many men on base but the way we came back showed me a lot about our kids’ character.”

Fillmore junior Tim McLain (1-0) made his first start of the season and pitched five innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out three and walking three.

Gregg, Prado and Albert Morales each had two hits.

Bishop Diego is 2-12-1, 0-4-1.

Royal 19, Dos Pueblos 6--Matt Pitstick, who drove in nine runs, hit a grand slam in the second and followed with a three-run home run in the third as the Highlanders (15-1) won the championship of the Dos Pueblos tournament.

Royal’s Kevin Mellinger hit a three-run home run in the first and a two-run home run in the second.

Highlander reliever Matt Rainer (3-0) entered in the second, giving up a hit and a walk and striking out one.

Hueneme 7, Alemany 6--Chris Neri (2-4) went the distance despite allowing 10 hits, striking out four and walking three as the Vikings (3-11) edged the Indians (2-9) in a consolation game of the San Luis Obispo tournament.

Pedro Cervantes had two hits and three runs batted in and Robert Avila had two hits and two RBIs for Hueneme, which plays El Segundo today in the consolation championship game.

Palmdale 11, St. Bernard 10--Thomas Martinez drove in Charlie Booterbaugh with a single in the 10th for the Falcons (8-8) in a nonleague game at Palmdale.

The Falcons’ Jason Gorman had a double, a triple and three RBIs.

Paraclete 22, Mojave 3--Starting pitcher Dan O’Gara (4-3) allowed three hits in six innings and struck out 11 for the Spirits in a High Desert League game.

Dave Brown collected three hits and five RBIs for Paraclete (5-7, 1-1).