Just when it looked like the Bishop Diego baseball team was going to win its first ever Tri-Valley League game, St. Bonaventure snuck in three runs in the top of the seventh inning to stop the Cardinals 5-3 on Thursday.
Bishop, which moved up to the TVL this season with Carpinteria, had just scored two runs in the bottom half of the sixth to take a 3-2 lead and starting pitcher Cody Yokubaitis in peak form. But three bunt singles later and a timely two-run single bounced the Seraphs right back on top to stay.
Yokubaitis pitched a complete game while throwing only 62 pitches, with just one walk.
“He was a strike machine,” described Cardinals head coach Brian Moulton.
Moulton also took pride in the defensive showing, highlighted by catcher Joe Salda throwing out three baserunners on steal attempts.
Paul Gherini knocked in Bishop’s first run in the fifth inning and David Pilkington’s RBI double and an RBI single from Yokubaitis took care of the Cardinals’ scoring.
Bishop Diego, which falls to 2-9 on the season, travels to St. Bonny on Saturday to complete the two-game set.
ST. BONAVENTURE 5, BISHOP DIEGO 3
St. Bonaventure 002 000 3 – 5 9 0
Bishop Diego 000 012 0 – 3 6 0
SB – Marietta, Rodarte (7), and Sinsun. BD – Yokubaitis, and Salda. 2B – BD 1 (David Pilkington)
