Celusta Calls On Right Man for Relief--Himself

When starting pitcher Nate Celusta needed help in the anxious moments of Saturday’s Western State Conference game, College of the Canyons turned to the perfect closer--Celusta himself.

The 6-foot right-hander, who began the season in the bullpen, bailed himself out of a ninth-inning jam on his way to a gritty complete-game performance that buoyed Canyons’ wobbly South Division title drive. Celusta carried a two-hitter through seven innings and finished with a six-hitter in the Cougars’ 3-2 victory over Valley at Canyons.

Celusta (3-2) outpitched Taiki Yamaoka, Valley’s Japanese import who allowed seven hits in eight innings. Valley nearly made Yamaoka (5-6) a winner, threatening in the eighth and ninth innings, but Celusta was equal to the challenge.

After Valley scored an unearned run in the seventh to close to 3-2, the Monarchs put two runners on in the eighth before Celusta retired designated hitter Nathan Wrought on a soft liner to center.

With one out in the ninth, Valley’s John Shellabarger doubled to left field and moved to third base when Ron Pirayoff’s line drive fell in front of center fielder Jeremy Seipel for a single.

Canyons Coach Len Mohney visited the mound but decided to stick with Celusta.

“The thing with Nate, he loves to compete. He was our closer earlier this season so he was used to those situations,” Mohney said.

That experience paid off. On the next pitch, Joe Maiden tapped to third baseman Kasey Canale, who threw out Shellabarger at the plate. When Chris Portugal popped out to second, Celusta finished an important victory for the Cougars (20-16, 15-5 in WSC play), who began the day with a 1 1/2-game lead over Pierce.

And after Thursday’s 8-2 loss to Pierce, which chased Canyons ace Chris Baker, Celusta knew his team needed a lift.

“We had gotten too confident,” said Celusta, who struck out one and walked two. “We can’t just show up and win. We have to do the little things.”

Celusta played a big role in one of those little things Saturday. With Canyons leading, 3-1, in the fourth, Valley loaded the bases with one out on a single and two walks. Shellabarger smashed a one-hopper that first baseman Jeff Brown turned into an inning-ending double play with Celusta taking the return throw at first from shortstop Lou Sanchez.

“Really, that turned out to be the key play of the game,” Mohney said.

Canyons started fast, scoring in the first on a double by Canale and Justin Bunch’s single.

After Valley (12-23, 8-11) tied the score, 1-1, in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Perez that scored Wrought, the Cougars added two in the third on a triple by Jeremy Seipel, a walk to Gabby Halcovich, a run-scoring groundout by Canale and Rick Nadeau’s single.

Wrought scored again in the seventh, racing home from second on Shellabarger’s groundout to short.

Yamaoka, whose windup is a modified version of countryman Hideo Nomo of the Dodgers, struck out five and walked two.