Dos Pueblos’ playoff hopes were all but drowned heading into Wednesday’s home game against San Marcos, and they started to sink even lower after San Marcos took a 5-0 lead in the third inning.
But one last gasp in the bottom of the seventh, capped by a walk-off hit by Michael Spiritosanto, gave DP a 6-5 victory and kept the defending Channel League champs treading water heading into the season finale, a 3:30 p.m. home game against Campbell Hall on Thursday afternoon.
The Chargers (12-13, 5-7) didn’t even know that they had a chance at the postseason after losing to Harvard-Westlake on Tuesday, but on Wednesday they learned that there would be two different avenues into the playoffs with a win against the Royals (13-10, 6-5). Should they beat Campbell Hall, they will finish with a .500 overall record, 13-13, which qualifies them for a possible at-large bid. Also, should Channel League champion Santa Barbara defeat Buena on Thursday, DP will finish in a tie with the Bulldogs for third place and force a play-in game.
“Going into yesterday’s game we thought that if we lost we were done. We thought that even if we won it we might not make it. Coming into today knowing that we still had a shot gave us a big boost,” said shortstop Steven Reveles, who hit a game-tying two-run double in the seventh.
That boost didn’t really show itself until the fifth inning, when the Chargers cut into the Royals’ lead with three runs. Jordan Drewisch led off with a single and freshman Matt York collected one of his three singles two batters later. Reveles grounded into a fielder’s choice which left runners at the corners with two outs. Jesus Salas promptly drove in a run on a double and Cory Micheel drove in two more on a single.
“That was a huge hit by Cory. He’s been clutch for us all year long,” said coach Nate Mendoza.
Freshman lefty Gabe Speier came in to pitch the top of the sixth and had some nasty movement on his curveball and two-seamer, striking out the first batter he faced. He walked the next two but kept his composure and wound up allowing just one hit while striking out three in two innings of work, leaving the door open for the dramatic bottom of the seventh.
Back-to-back singles by Matt McClenathen and York kicked things off, and a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position. Reveles then drove in both of them on his double, a screamer down the first-base line, that tied the game at 5-5. Salas followed with a bunt single, and Micheel was intentionally walked to lead the bases.
Spiritosanto then used a seven-pitch at-bat to drive in the winning run on a grounder to left.
“He comes up big all the time,” said Reveles of Spiritosanto. “This was huge for us, most importantly because it could help our seniors to keep playing if we get in (to the playoffs).”
San Marcos did all of its damage with two outs in the third. Shane Moore doubled and Nick Villegas singled to drive him in. Riley Moore walked and Jimmy Brakka singled to drive in Villegas. Next up was Nick Stathopoulos, who was fresh off of a 10-strikeout, one-hitter against Ventura on Tuesday which clinched at least second place in the league. He belted a 3-run homer that looked like it might have cleared Cathedral Oaks Road.
At that point, a DP comeback looked far-fetched. But the squad that battled back from a 1-4 start in league play to win the conference last year managed to surge once more.
“We only scored in one inning. We had opportunities to score in other innings, but you can’t just score in one and expect it to hold up,” said San Marcos coach Rob Crawford, who felt that clinching the playoff berth on Tuesday didn’t negatively affect his team on Wednesday.
“I don’t think so, in the sense that we’re playing DP. Their coach said that he doesn’t want to lose to San Marcos, and we saw that and we were fired up. Shane Wieland went up there with the flu, not feeling good, and gave us five good innings,” he said. “This stings a little bit because it’s a crosstown rival and our guys are gonna wear that a little bit. I’m glad this isn’t our last game before going into the playoffs.”
The Royals host Ventura on Thursday afternoon with a chance to clinch second place outright in the league.
DOS PUEBLOS 6, SAN MARCOS 5
San Marcos…005 000 0 — 5 9 0
Dos Pueblos…000 030 3 — 6 11 0
Wieland, Brakka (6) and RMoore. Huthsing, Speier (6) and Salas.
2B — SM: SMoore. DP: Reveles, Salas. HR — SM: Stathopoulos (3rd inn., 2 on).
