Higgins Wins on Strong-Arm Tactics

Josh Higgins threw more pitches Tuesday than the Cal Lutheran lineup could shake a 33-inch aluminum stick at.

Among the 140 assorted offerings Higgins hurled at the Kingsmen, only two did him harm. Most of the rest made for an arduous complete-game victory, as Master’s overcame a five-run deficit with a ninth-inning run to defeat Cal Lutheran, 7-6, in a nonconference baseball game at Master’s.

Higgins (10-2), a 6-foot-5 junior right-hander, held tough while the Mustangs’ offense sputtered. He struck out a career-high 13 while scattering seven hits.

But he was on the ropes early, surrendering a first-inning two-run home run to Eric Medina.

In the fifth, Tom Galante roughed up Higgins for a towering three-run home run that gave Cal Lutheran (18-6-2) a 6-1 lead.

But Higgins, en route to his fourth complete game, was only getting warmed up.

“I threw 145 pitches last Thursday against Cal Baptist,” Higgins said. “I’m going to get ice right now. I’m going to be pretty sore.”

Coach Monte Brooks of Master’s made two trips to the mound during times of trouble. Both times he made lengthy stays but returned to the dugout with Higgins holding the ball.

“He was just kind of joking around with me,” Higgins said. “I was just battling. I knew what I had to do.”

Brooks said he saw no reason for a change.

“He was throwing a lot of strikes and he stayed ahead of the hitters,” Brooks said. “They got five of their runs on two bad pitches. Our pitchers are in really good shape, as far as endurance goes. Pretty consistently, they get better as they go on.”

Master’s made it’s run against the Kingsmen bullpen, which collapsed after a strong 5 2/3 innings by Scott Courneya.

The Mustangs pulled to within 6-3 in the sixth, pushing across an unearned run on Mike Ploharz’s double and another on Kurt Fillmore’s single off Micah Weathers.

In the seventh, David Gonzalez replaced Weathers and immediately gave up a two-run home run to Mike Wertz.

In the ninth, Wertz, the Mustangs’ cleanup hitter, stepped to the plate with none out, the score tied and a runner at first.

After an unsuccessful bunt, Wertz singled to left field. The Mustangs eventually loaded the bases with one out.

Matt Herwaldt won the game with a single.

“I asked [Brooks] if he wanted me to lay one down,” Wertz said. “He said, ‘No, swing away.’ I haven’t bunted all year. Last year, I bunted into a double-play.”

Chris Goodenough’s wild pitch allowed Herwaldt to score the tying run in the eighth.

“Two or three times this season, we haven’t been able to close the door,” said Coach Marty Slimak of Cal Lutheran. “We waited for them to come back and win the game.”