Bullpen Gives Vigilantes Enough Time to Rally

The Vigilantes got five innings of solid relief and rallied for four runs in the eighth inning to beat Tri-City, 8-6, in a Western Baseball League game Thursday before an announced crowd of 1,322 at Saddleback College.

Josh Belovsky, who has taken over the closer role since Brett Grebe was sold to the Angels’ double-A team in Midland, Texas, was perfect in the final two innings to get the victory.

Belovsky, a right-hander who pitched at Orange Coast and Cypress colleges, had three strikeouts and improved to 4-1. Belovsky is also the pitching coach at OCC.

Kent Ervin started for Mission Viejo and gave up eight hits and five runs in four innings. Max Tremblay replaced Ervin in the fifth and gave up two hits and a run but struck out six in three innings.

The Vigilantes’ winning rally started in the eighth against Tri-City pitcher Kirk Koshita.

Chris Powell and Alan Burke singled and Manny Gagliano walked one out later to load the bases.

Brad Gennaro singled in two runs to tie it, 6-6, and Robert Muro followed with a run-scoring single to put the Vigilantes up, 7-6. The final run scored on Kevin Tahan’s sacrifice fly.

Tri-City (9-11) scored a run in the first and two more in the second to open a 3-0 lead. The Vigilantes got one in the third on Powell’s run-scoring single but Tri-City scored twice in the fourth for a 5-1 lead.

But Mission Viejo got a big lift in the fifth. Gennaro singled and two outs later, Bodie Shepherd walked. Kendrick Davis followed with a three-run home run.