Nico Mendoza struck out nine through seven and one-third innings and the Anzar Hawks posted their first win of 2010 when they edged host Greenfield 4-3 in eight innings on Thursday in non-conference action.
Despite nearly going the full eight innings atop the hill, Mendoza only threw 86 pitches. He struck out the side in the third inning on just 11 pitches, and had five-pitch innings in the fourth and the seventh.
He allowed two runs in the first inning, but after that, Anzar manager Andrew Barragan said, "He was lights out."
"After that first inning, he settled down," Barragan added. "What helped him was that he got ahead of the batters. That first-pitch strike was setting up that knuckle-curve.
"And that's his out-pitch."
Mendoza (7.1IP, 4H, 2ER, 9K, 1BB) was relieved in the eighth by Devon Parish, who inherited two runners with one out. But Parish struck out the first batter he saw, then got the following batter to groundout to earn the save.
It was the first time Anzar has defeated Greenfield in four years, Barragan said.
"They looked good, but they were a little shaky during the first couple of innings," the manager said of his team. "They weren't finishing that swing."
Greenfield jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first frame, but Anzar knotted the game in the third when Blake Selsor connected on an RBI single, scoring Daniel Ornelas.
Selsor later advanced to second on a pass ball, then scored off a Greenfield error.
"The Greenfield pitcher was throwing strikes," Barragan said. "We told them to be aggressive, and that's what opened it up a little bit, when we started being aggressive."
The Hawks took a brief lead in the sixth when Niko Hebert reached base on balls, stole second and then scored on a throwing error, but the Bruins answered in the bottom half and eventually sent the game to extras as a result.
It wasn't until the eighth inning did the Hawks grab the lead for good. Mendoza singled on to start the inning and teammate Nick Salgado followed with a double to right-center field. After Greenfield opted to intentionally walk Tanner McKinney to load the bases with nobody out, Hebert drew an RBI walk to plate the go-ahead run.
Parish closed the door in the bottom half of the inning to give Anzar (1-1) its first win of the season.
The Hawks will return to the diamond on Friday when they will host St. Francis of Watsonville in San Juan Bautista. First pitch is 3:30 p.m.
Note:
Although no make-up date was officially announced, Anzar and Greenfield are expected to reschedule their game from Tuesday sometime during the week of March 15.
TEAM
ANZ - 002 001 01 - 4 5 2
GRN - 200 001 00 - 3 4 4
Free Lance Sports Staff Got a question or a comment? Send us an email.
POST A COMMENT
If you are under 13 years of age you may read this message board, but you may not participate.
Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form.
The Score: Baler football and boys and girls water polo
