San Pedro rallies past Banning, 4-3
It was a curious musical selection for the home team. As San Pedro High pitcher Jonathon Mata prepared to face rival Wilmington Banning in the seventh inning, the music that accompanies the Rally Monkey on the scoreboard at Angel Stadium blared from loudspeakers.
San Pedro was trying to keep its Marine League rival off the scoreboard, not encourage a comeback.
But there would be no late-inning heroics. Mata made sure of it.
The right-hander put the finishing touches on his complete game Tuesday afternoon after receiving just enough offensive support during host San Pedro’s 4-3 come-from-behind victory that pulled the teams into a tie atop the league standings.
Blake Mendoza homered for the Pirates to tie the score, 3-3, in the fifth inning before Jacob Johnson capped a two-out rally later in the inning with a run-scoring single through the right side of the infield.
And so one more game will be necessary to decide the league title, with the Pirates (20-4, 8-1) playing at Banning (19-8, 8-1) on Thursday afternoon. San Pedro last one a league title in 2005 and Banning in 2003.
“We always talk about momentum, so now I think the momentum is with our team,” Mata said. “The pressure is on them to win at their house.”
The Pilots appeared on the brink of clinching the league title after they scored once in the fourth inning on Lucas Macias’ double and twice in the fifth on hits by Robert Ponce and Mike Encinas to take a 3-2 lead.
But the Pirates struck for two runs in their half of the inning against starter Jonathan Hernandez (7-3).
“The team picked me up after that harsh inning,” Mata said.
Mata (9-1) rebounded by retiring the last seven batters he faced. He had three strikeouts and walked two batters. He worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the third and stranded two runners in the fourth.
Nick Etheridge had two hits and drove in a run and Johnson finished with two runs batted in for the Pirates.
“They showed a lot of poise and character today,” San Pedro Coach Bob Ramirez said of his players. “Now they have a chance to win a championship, and it’s been a while since we won one over here.”
ben.bolch@latimes.com
