Foothill Goldak rallies to capture Major baseball crown
TUJUNGA — Some aggressive base running went a long way for the Foothill Goldak Major baseball team Monday.
It paved the way for Foothill to rally from one final deficit and ultimately grab the Tri-Cities District 16 Little League Tournament of Champions title in heart-pounding fashion.
Foothill scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and then held off one final rally by Vaquero Star Ford to register a 7-6 win at Tujunga Little League Fields in a winner-take-all contest.
Foothill posted an 8-3 win against Vaquero on Sunday at the same venue, leaving both teams hungry for a title-clinching victory Monday.
“It’s a big part of our game in trying to be aggressive running the bases,” said Foothill Manager Keith Hopkins, whose team won six straight elimination games. “If we can do it, then we have a chance of putting a lot of pressure on the other team. It worked out well for our guys.”
Trailing, 5-4, entering the bottom of the fifth, Foothill went to work. With two outs and the bases clear, Max Cahill tripled. Cahill scored on a double to right by Justin Melville to tie the score at 5. Melville raced to third and scored on a throwing error on the play by the second baseman.
Goldak then made it 7-5 in a similar situation. Seth Arcos doubled down the right-field line and scampered to third while drawing a throw from the second baseman. The relay went over the third baseman’s head, allowing Arcos to score the eventual winning run.
“There was so much going on in the inning,” Arcos said. “The same play had happened earlier you just try to pick up on it.
“My coach wanted me to at least get to third base and then the ball was thrown away. It was a back-and-forth game and we had to fight for it. It feels special to win the championship for Foothill Little League.”
Vaquero tried to mount a rally in the sixth. Jason Martinez led off with a double just inside the left-field line and moved to third on a ground-out. Jesse Molina was then hit by a pitch and stole second. A ground-out to shortstop by Fernando Gallegos pulled Star Ford to within 7-6 and put Molina on third. Javier Solis then grounded out sharply to second for the final out to touch off a celebration in the infield by Foothill.
“We battled hard all game and that’s what you want to see both teams doing when going for a championship,” said Vaquero Manager Danny Martinez, whose team opened the tournament June 5 with a 6-2 win against Goldak at Tujunga. “We just came up one run short, but there’s plenty to like and be proud of regarding our guys.
“It’s always a pleasure playing Foothill. The games are always good and close. You always want to see good competition.”
Star Ford took a 1-0 lead in the first on an error by the first baseman. Foothill’s Evan Mulcahey tied it in the bottom of the inning on an opposite field home run to right. Later in the inning, Goldak took a 2-1 lead on a double steal in which Joshua Hopkins swiped home and Cahill took second.
Vaquero scored two runs in the third to make it 3-2. An error by the catcher tied it at 2 and a run-scoring single by Sean Forero plated Martinez to make it 3-2.
Foothill responded with a two-run third. A fielder’s choice by Cahill tied it at 3 and Cahill later scored on a wild pitch to give Goldak a 4-3 advantage.
Star Ford bounced back to take a 5-4 lead in the fifth. Both runs came on wild pitches with one out before getting a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
“To win six straight games with basically just nine players is a real credit to our players,” Hopkins said. “It’s a great accomplishment and it’s something we’ll remember for a long time.”
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
