Glendale Angelenos rally for 6-4 victory over Ventura Pirates
NORTHEAST GLENDALE — There are certain amenities every home needs.
On Tuesday evening, the Glendale Angelenos added a long picket fence to Stengel Field, scoring single runs in six of eight innings, including the final four, in picking up a 6-4 victory versus the visiting Ventura Pirates in California Collegiate Summer League play.
“It was nice to see some of the guys making adjustments, especially first baseman Ellis Whitman, who is starting to show his talents,” Glendale Coach Tony Rivera said. “We can certainly use more guys contributing.”
Whitman finished two for five with two tattooed doubles and two RBIs.
The current Cal State Dominguez Hills player drove in two of the game’s more important runs, including when he crushed a 1-2 double off the top left-center wall against reliever Chase Davis in the bottom of the eighth that plated pinch-hitter Edgar Monte, which put Glendale ahead, 6-4.
“I was looking fastball in and have been getting that pitch later in the count,” Whitman said. “I tried to stay relaxed and go with whatever they throw me and, luckily, they’ve been going fastball in.”
Whitman also took advantage of a fastball from reliever Kevin Perez in the fifth when he doubled in Danny Casey, who himself doubled to begin the inning, which knotted the game at 3.
Glendale took the lead in the sixth on a RBI double from Julian Jarrard that center fielder Kevin Torres lost in the lights and then increased its advantage to 5-3 after seven innings when Matthew Tellesco doubled home Chris Stroh after Torres’ diving attempt in left-center just missed producing a spectacular catch.
Ventura rallied with a run in the eighth thanks to a two-out RBI double from Bryce Kelly off Angelenos reliever Stephano Rodriguez.
Yet, Rodriguez responded to the hiccup by inducing a grounder to second from Alex Gonzalez to escape the inning.
Rodriguez collected an out in the ninth before giving way to right-hander Thomas Korn, who recorded the final two outs in earning the save.
Korn was one of six relievers, who along with Rodriguez and Greg Astor, Nick Rodarte, Kyle McDorman and Sam Frakes, combined for five innings of two-hit ball, while allowing one run.
[Starter Greg] Fowler came out and did such a great job for us,” McDorman said. “He got us rolling. The first inning was a little shaky for us, but it wasn’t hit fault.”
The Angelenos fell behind, 3-0, after one half inning after Fowler surrendered three runs (all unearned), two taking place on an infield error with the bases-loaded and one out that scored two.
The starter rebounded in keeping the Pirates at bay by striking out six and allowing only one hit in his final three innings of work.
Glendale bounced back with a single run in the second inning, courtesy of a run-scoring grounder from Ruben Padilla, and a run in the third on a RBI single from Sako Chapjian.
After taking a day off Monday, the Angelenos are also idle today as their scheduled contest versus the Los Angeles Thrashers was canceled because of the Thrashers’ lack of uniforms.
Glendale is back in action Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Stengal Field versus Team Victory.