SGV slugs 13-0 win
GLENDALE — In its second-round game of the Babe Ruth League 16-18 Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament on Saturday in Watsonville, the San Gabriel Valley Babe Ruth All-Stars made sure there would be no late-inning comeback by their opponent.
A day removed from holding off East Sacramento by a single run in an opening-round win, San Gabriel Valley put the hammer down on Utah, 13-0, with an offensive barrage highlighted by two home runs from Cody Regis and backed by a quality start from Danny Vargas, who went five innings and earned the win.
“It was a good momentum game for us,” said San Gabriel Valley sophomore outfielder Troy Prasertsit, one of five players from Crescenta Valley High on the team, which is also coached by Falcons Coach Phil Torres. “We pitched really well and we were hitting the ball.”
San Gabriel Valley took a 3-0 lead in the third inning on a three-run home run by Regis. The UCLA-bound shortstop out of Glendora High drove in six runs on the night.
The lead grew to 6-0 by the end of the sixth inning, but unlike Friday’s game, in which East Sacramento was able to rally from a 6-0 deficit to come within one run before falling into a game-ending pickoff at second base, Saturday’s contest became a blowout when San Gabriel Valley put up seven runs in the seventh.
“We were just trying to build the lead so they wouldn’t have a chance to [come back],” said utility Elliott Surrey, a Crescenta Valley sophomore, who had a two-run single in the seventh inning and pitched one inning of relief. “The top of the lineup has been doing really good. The first batter’s been getting on and the second batter’s getting on, getting [the first batter] over and getting him in. We’re just playing the game and keeping it simple.”
Regis also homered for the second time during the seventh-inning.
“[In the seventh inning], the leadoff man got on and after that it became a chain reaction and everybody just started hitting,” said Prasertsit, who hit a home run on Saturday that cleared the ballpark and landed in the street beyond the outfield fence. “The batting practice we took every day in the morning just helped me out.”
Former Falcon Sean Elliott completed one inning of relief work for San Gabriel Valley, which also includes Crescenta Valley senior Joe Sedano and sophomore Nate Rousey on its roster.
San Gabriel Valley took on the tournament host Watsonville on Sunday night in a game that had not been decided by press time.
The winner of that game advances to the championship game on Tuesday at 5 p.m., while the loser must play a game in the loser’s bracket today at 8 p.m.