Glendale Angelenos, Sako Chapjian blast past Gold Coast Braves

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — A key pinch hit and a pair of long home runs got the Glendale Angelenos back on track following a tough road trip.

Back at Stengel Field after losing two games in a row for the first time this season, Glendale received a clutch pinch-hit double from John Schwer and a pair of homers from Sako Chapjian to earn a 10-5 victory against the Gold Coast Braves in an Independent Collegiate Summer League contest.

Schwer, a former Glendale Community College standout, broke a 4-4 deadlock with a two-run double to right to give the Angelenos a 6-4 lead with one out in the sixth inning.

Schwer, a Burroughs High graduate, said he needed to be ready in case he was called on by Glendale Coach Tony Riviera.

“Tony told me to be ready to pinch hit the inning before and he likes to roll the dice,” said Schwer, who has recorded three pinch hits this season for the Angelenos. “It’s a mind set that you have to have because you are coming up in a specific spot with a good opportunity to get something done.

“I’m glad I could come through in that situation.”

Riviera said he was confident Schwer could produce a quality at-bat.

“Him being three for three in pinch-hitting tells you a lot,” said Riviera, whose team finished with 11 hits. “He gave us a professional at-bat and that set the tone for the rest of the game.”

The Angelenos (17-5) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. With one out, Pedro Aldape walked and reached second on a wild pitch. After Hector Gomez flied to shallow left for the second out, Ruben Padilla, who attended Glendale college, doubled over third base to drive in Aldape.

Chapjian, who graduated from Hoover and attended Glendale college, made it 3-0 with a two-run home run to left-center field in the third.

After squandering three golden scoring in each of the first three innings against Glendale starting pitcher Kyle McDorman, the Braves tied the game at 3 when Steve Motush hit a bases-loaded double to left-center field against reliever Sean Adler with two outs in the fifth.

Tyler Hawkins gave Gold Coast (4-8) its first lead with a run-scoring single to right with two outs to make it 4-3 in the sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth, Glendale tied it at 4 on an error by the third baseman. Schwer then doubled off reliever Danny Hawes to make it 6-4.

Pinch-hitter Edgar Montes of Glendale college doubled to right to extend the lead to 7-4.

Gold Coast closed to within 7-5 on a sacrifice fly to center by Jared Patterson. Montes gave the Angelenos an 8-5 lead in the eighth on a ground out that scored former Vaquero Danny Casey from third and Chapjian hit his second home run of the game — sixth of the season — with two outs to make it 10-5.

Glendale will next meet the Diamond Valley Sabers at 6:30 p.m. today at Stengel field.