Santa Barbara was on an 11-game winning streak while Dos Pueblos was coming off of a disappointing loss to Ventura, sitting at a lowly 1-4 in Channel League play.
If there is any way to jump-start a team for the final sprint of the season, DP’s performance at Eddie Mathews Field on Thursday was it.
The Chargers put up four runs in the first inning and staved off a mid-game comeback by the Dons to post an 11-5 victory. Porfiro Avila pitched three scoreless innings in relief and also belted a two-run homer that put DP up 7-1 in the third. The Chargers racked up 15 hits via eight different players.
DP starter Joe Huthsing pitches to Collin Dewell in the third inning.
“I’m not even sure if our kids knew the elements of this game. (Santa Barbara) hadn’t lost at home all year and they were on an 11-game winning streak, so I mean all-in-all this is a humungous win, and to get it in their park’s even bigger,” said coach Nate Mendoza.
Cory Micheel, one of the team’s few seniors, said that he was aware of the streak but that it wasn’t the team’s main focus.
“We wanted to come in and show what we’re made of. It was more about showing what we are than beating them, because we wanted to prove to everyone that we’re better than our record shows,” he said.
The Dons had 15 hits of their own, but the Chargers (9-9, 2-4 Channel League) defense was clutch when it needed to be, recording double-plays to end each of the final three innings. The biggest of those double plays came in the fifth, when DP was nursing a precarious 7-5 lead. There was an opportunity to end the inning with a 6-4-3 double play, but the ball got away from freshman second baseman Ben York and the bases ended up loaded.
The youngster stayed composed, however, and initiated a 4-6-3 put-out on the very next batter. Mendoza said it was the play of the game.
“They swung the bat well, and we swung the bat pretty well,” said Dons coach Fred Warrecker. “I mean, 15, 16 hits is a lot. But to get five runs out of that is the big question. Some guys just didn’t hit when the Ducks were on the pond.”
Micheel, Michael Spiritosanto, Joe Huthsing and Josh Paden each had two hits for DP, while Matt McClenathen had three. Santa Barbara’s Robert Crawford hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning that made it a 7-5 ballgame, but Santa Barbara (15-2-1, 5-2) could not get anybody across after that. Sophomore Kees t’Sas, who will start for the Dons in Friday’s rematch, was 4-for-4 with four singles.
Huthsing, a sophomore, got the start against the Dons’ high-powered offense and “pitched his heart out” according to Mendoza, giving up five runs on 10 hits.
There were a couple of instances of tough luck for the Dons, the first coming on Avila’s home run. Santa Barbara right fielder Cameron Gniadek tracked it nicely back to the fence and had the ball in his glove for a split-second, but his glove smacked the fence and it popped out.
Also, with two outs in the top of sixth, what had been a cloudy sky cleared up for about 90 seconds. Well, in that 90 seconds the Chargers popped one straight up in the air and it was lost in the sun, falling to the ground as DP’s 11th run came home.
The two teams meet again at 3:15 p.m. Friday at Dos Pueblos. Last season, Dos Pueblos managed to win the Channel League with an 8-4 record, and winning out in conference play would leave them with the same mark.
“We get a win tomorrow and we’re right back in it again,” said Mendoza. “As tough as this season has been, if we get a win tomorrow we’re sniffin’ the up-and-up.”
DOS PUEBLOS 11, SANTA BARBARA 5
Dos Pueblos…412 004 0 — 11 15 1
Santa Barbara…012 200 0 — 5 15 4
Huthsing, Avila (5) and Salas. Zandona, Spatz (7) and Eaton. WP — Huthsing (5-3). LP — Zandona (6-2).
2B — DP: Huthsing, Paden, York, Salas, McClenathen. SB — SB: Gil, Zandona. HR — DP: Avila (3rd inn., one on), SB: (Crawford 4th inn., one on).
