La Habra Aced Out by Tolmasoff, Buena Park
It was ace versus ace, team strength versus team strength Friday when Buena Park’s Jeremy Tolmasoff took the mound against La Habra counterpart Kyle Ballard.
Tolmasoff brought the undefeated record. Ballard brought the 1.00 earned-run average.
Once the game started, Buena Park’s Earl Parker brought the pop.
Parker’s two-run home run in the fourth inning staked Tolmasoff to a lead he did not relinquish and the Coyotes held off the No. 8 Highlanders, 4-2, in a pivotal Freeway League baseball game at La Habra.
Tolmasoff pitched a three-hitter and received some timely defense from third baseman Jeff Keller as Buena Park (9-4, 4-1) tied La Habra (9-2, 4-1) atop the league standings.
“It meant a lot,” said Tolmasoff, who gave up one earned run. “I was hitting my spots pretty good. This puts us back on top [of the league].”
The Highlanders threatened in the sixth and seventh innings, but Keller’s backhanded stab of Bryan Gailey’s line drive allowed the Coyotes to escape unscathed in the sixth. Then Tolmasoff (5-0) induced Kevin Sulimoff into a game-ending groundout with runners on first and second in the seventh.
“Jeremy pitched a heck of a game,” Buena Park Coach Bryce McHale said. “Our team stayed behind him and gave him the support he needed.”
Tolmasoff helped his own cause with an RBI single in the first inning off Ballard (5-2), and Parker’s home run to left-center gave Buena Park a 3-1 lead in the fourth.
The Coyotes had a chance to blow the game open in the fifth but scored only one run on Anthony Cabral’s wacky triple with one out and the bases loaded.
Mike Burrola scored from third on the hit, but Sergio Flores, who was at second, was called out after crossing home plate. The plate umpire ruled Flores had failed to touch third base. Rudy Padilla was the second out on the play when catcher Adam Medina tagged him at the plate.
La Habra tied the score at 1-1 in the second on Mike Morales’ home run. The Highlanders pulled to within 4-2 in the fifth when Tristan Gadberry scored on an error.
La Habra won’t get a shot at redemption until both teams’ regular-season finale at Buena Park.
In other Freeway League games:
Fullerton 11, Troy 10--Tom Willes’ one-out sacrifice fly scored David Schatz to cap a seven-run rally in the seventh for visiting Fullerton (4-5-1, 2-3). Willes started the inning with a double and scored the first run of the rally.
Sonora 12, Sunny Hills 0 (5, mercy)--Erik Estrada struck out eight and pitched a one-hitter. Jacob Mendrin had three hits and two RBIs for visiting Sonora (7-5, 2-3).
