Brea Works Overtime to Beat Western

It’s still too early in the season for the Brea Olinda-Western game to have playoff implications. But that didn’t keep Wednesday’s game, which Brea won in eight innings, 6-4, from having a playoff atmosphere.

The teams were tied for first in the Orange League, and each team started undefeated pitchers.

Something had to give. And in the end it was the host Pioneers.

Brandon Grajewski, racing home on Mark Becher’s grounder to short, beat Miguel Rodriguez’s throw to the plate to break a 4-4 tie. Brea would get another run on Rodriguez’s throwing error.

Right-hander Scott Davis (6-0) went the distance and gave up seven hits.

Davis, who struck out eight, overcame five walks (one intentional), three wild pitches and four errors by his defense.

None was bigger than third baseman Andrew Mauzey’s boot of Aaron Bell’s grounder in the sixth, which enabled Western to score two runs and force extra innings.

“Scott was an excellent pitcher for us last year,” Brea Coach Steve Hiskey said. “We’re a better team this year, although we didn’t always show it today.

“We could have collapsed there in the sixth, but Scott got us through.”

Western right-hander Brandon Herbert gave up nine hits in seven innings, and left with a no-decision. Jason Zollan (2-3), who pitched the eighth, was the loser.

Brea is 13-5-1 overall, 7-0-1 in league; Western is 13-5-1, 6-1-1.

Western Coach Robert Harrison does not want his team to go into a tailspin over one game.

“We can’t let what happened today affect us,” Harrison said. “And even though I expect the race won’t be decided until the last week, we can’t think about our third game with them. There is still too much baseball to play.”