Vigilantes Take an Important Step
As reliever Josh Belovsky struck out Jess Olivares for the final out in the Vigilantes’ 8-6 victory over the Pacific Suns, it gave Mission Viejo great hope for the present and another reason to ponder the future.
Was Sunday’s regular-season home finale, in front of an announced crowd of 2,437 at Saddleback College, the Vigilantes’ final game in Mission Viejo? The Vigilantes’ lease ends Sept. 17, and there are no plans for a new stadium and team President Pat Elster has said his Western Baseball League franchise either plays here or nowhere in 1999.
Then again, the 1998 season might not end Wednesday in Sonoma County, where the Vigilantes play the final three games.
Mission Viejo (48-39 overall, 24-18 in the second half) is currently second in the South Division, and leads Sonoma County by a game in the race for the final playoff spot. The Crushers, who lost to division champion Chico, 10-4, also Sunday, need to win at least two of the three games to force a tie.
The Crushers will have to do it against a Vigilante team that has played its best baseball of the season the past two weeks.
“These guys have played with a lot of heart,” Vigilante Manager Buck Rodgers said. “Some people said we only need to win one game, but in this league you don’t want to leave it to the math. We want to win two of three and take some momentum into the playoffs.”
Vigilante first baseman Alan Burke, who had a two-run triple in Mission Viejo’s five-run fourth inning that broke a 3-3 tie, said the team is playing at its highest confidence level.
“We’ve done everything right the past two weeks,” Burke said. “Even when we haven’t executed properly, we’ve made it up with hustle and determination.”
Burke, who is retiring after four years with the Vigilantes (including two seasons in Long Beach), and whose uniform No. 14 was retired during the game, said he hoped the franchise can stay in Mission Viejo.
“I think the team can be a great asset for the city. I hope they can get a new stadium. But if things don’t work out, then it wasn’t meant to be.”
Things worked out well for Vigilante starter Tim Davidson (6-6), who went five innings and got the victory despite walking six.
Helping Burke with the offense were Phil Kernan and Brian Grebeck, both of whom hit two-run homers.
Suns starter Alex Sanchez (3-8), who could not get out of the fourth inning, took the loss.
Notes
The Vigilantes will start selling playoff tickets today. Tickets cost $5-9, are on a first-come, first-served basis, and can be purchased at the team’s office or by phone at (949) 699-1616. Should Mission Viejo make the playoffs, it would open the best-of-five series on the road against Chico on Thursday. . . . If the Vigilantes make the playoffs, they will be without Manny Gagliano, who is committed to playing in Italy, and Brian Grebeck, who will sign with Toronto’s triple-A team in Syracuse today.