COSTA MESA – A six-run third inning propelled the Vanguard baseball team to an 8-4 win over Saint Katherine on Tuesday at Dean Harvey Field.
The Lions got huge production from the top of their order as Corey Jarrell, Nino Vultaggio and Oscar Diaz combined to go 7-for-10 with three runs scored and seven RBI.
Second baseman Jarred Mazzaferro also had a productive day at the plate as he finished 3-for-5 with a run scored. Third baseman Evan Avitia reached base in all four plate appearances with three walks and a single.
VU, which leads the Golden State Athletic Conference with 151 walks on the season, drew eight more against Firebird pitching. Saint Katherine also committed four errors.
Seven Lion pitchers saw action and Kevin Pence recorded his first career victory with a solid two innings of scoreless relief work. Pence has not allowed an earned run in 7.1 innings across seven appearances this season.
VU (18-9) has won five of its last six games. Bethesda fell to 0-10 overall.
What Happened?
The Firebirds struck first in the second off VU starter Jesus Munguia. A single and a double put two runners in scoring position for Jesse Coats, who hit an infield single to score Jared Benham.
Vanguard got the run back in the bottom half with two outs. Avitia walked and stole second, moving to third after the catcher's throw rolled into center field. Jarrell followed with an RBI single. The Lions eventually loaded the bases as Jarrell and Vultaggio recorded steals followed a walk to Diaz to load the bases. But the Firebirds replaced starting pitcher Tyler Linnell with Christopher Paruleski, and he got a strikeout to end the threat.
After escaping bases loaded situations in the first and second innings, Saint Katherine capitalized with two runs in the third off Bryce Barnett, the first of six VU relievers. Barnett allowed a leadoff single to Devin Padua, then proceeded to walk three straight Firebirds with one out. The last one to Jordan Frye forced in Padua as STK took a 2-1 lead. The Firebirds extended the lead to 3-1 on a fielder's choice groundout from Max Merlan.
But the Lions took advantage of a leadoff error in the third, parlaying the miscue into a six-run explosion. Tevis Payne's routine grounder was misplayed by the Firebird first baseman to start the rally. After Mazzaferro singled to put two runners aboard, Paruleski struck out the next two Lions – and should have been out of the inning.
Avitia beat out an infield hit to shortstop to load the bases, and Jarrell got plunked by a pitch to drive in the first run of the inning. Vultaggio laced a single up the middle to score Avitia and Mazzaferro for a 4-3 VU lead.
Diaz then crushed a three-run shot to right field – his second of the season – as Paruleski bore the brunt of six unearned runs in a nightmarish third.
The Lions tacked on one more run in the fifth as Avitia, Jarrell and Vultaggio loaded the bases via a walk and two singles. A double play grounder scored Avitia for an 8-3 VU lead.
STK scored its final run in the seventh off VU reliever Daniel Vega. Vega walked leadoff pinch hitter Nick Rocha. First baseman Antonio Omphroy, who recorded two of the six Lion stolen bases on the afternoon, made a great defensive play on a Dalton Thomas grounder. Omphroy raced to and dove to the bag to beat Thomas by a step. On the play, pinch runner Colby Barnes hustled to third. Padua then hit an RBI single.
The Firebirds fished for more as two more Vega walks loaded the bases for Frye. But Jase Schueller bailed out the Lions getting Frye to groundout to second to end the inning.
Schueller struck out two in 1.1 innings and Jackson Webber pitched a scoreless ninth. Paruleski took the loss to fall to 0-4, allowing seven runs (one earned) in 4.1 innings.
Why Is It Important?: VU continued to apply pressure on offense with 12 hits, eight walks, two hit by pitches and six steals. The Lions are 8-1 this season when recording more walks than strikeouts on offense.
What's Next?: The Lions host OUAZ for a GSAC three-game series this weekend. The teams play a single game on Friday at 2:30 p.m.
