Dos Pueblos catcher Kyle Richardson dives to make the tag on a Pioneer Valley's Mark Lopez on a strong throw from left fielder Dylan Rohde.
Bring on Cypress.
The Dos Pueblos baseball team earned the opportunity to play the No. 1-seeded team in the CIF Division 2 playoffs by pulling out a 6-5 win over Pioneer Valley in a wild-card game Tuesday at DP.
The Chargers are looking forward to the challenge of playing at 22-7 Cypress.
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“We’re ready. Hopefully, they’re ready because we’re going to bring it,” said sophomore pticher Gabe Speier, who threw 3 2/3 innings of outstanding relief to pick up the win on Tuesday.
“I’m excited,” DP coach Nate Mendoza said. “When we were in Tucson, we played the No. 25 team in the nation, Sabino — and they were on a 14-game winning streak — and we got ’em there in Arizona. We’ve done it before. We beat Simi Vallley at Simi Valley, and they’re a very strong team in that strong league theyre in. We’re just going to treat it like that. We’ve beaten big teams at their place.
“We’re very excited for the challenge. We’re not intimidated by any means. We’re excited to get it going on Thursday.”
Mendoza was also excited to see his seniors come through in the clutch to keep their high school careers going for another game.
DP's Mike Spiritosanto rounds second base on his way to a triple. He would score the winning run on a throwing error by Pioneer Valley.
Steven Reveles delivered a clutch, two-out single in the fifth inning to score Johnny Corazza for the game-tying run, and Michael Spiritosanto blasted a triple to right-center field and came home for the winning run when the throw to third base hit him on the leg and rolled toward the DP dugout in the sixth.
“Spirit’s been our guy to come up with big hits numerous times, so to see him do that in his senior year, when their season is on the line, those are proud moments for a coach,” said Mendoza.
Pioneer Valley couldn’t keep Spiritosanto off base. He went 3-for-3 and walked, and drove in a run.
The big hits by Reveles and Spiritosanto came after Pioneer Valley had taken at 5-4 lead on a massive three-run homer to left field in the fourth inning by Roger Guillan.
Guillan homered off DP starter Joe Huthsing, who was battling from the start.
Mendoza brought in the left-handed Speier after Huthsing hit a batter, and the move paid off for DP.
Speier allowed only one hit while striking out five to improve his record to 7-3.
“Joe didn’t have his best stuff today, but Joe has done it for us a million times, and Speier was there to pick him up.”
Speier said he relishes the opportunities to come in and shut down the opposition and give his team a big lift.
“I love it,” he said. “It gets my heart beating fast and I just love it.
“Everything was working well,” he added “I was getting my pitches over for strikes and that helps a lot.”
Pioneer Valley (14-11), the No. 4 team from the Pac 7 League, took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a RBI single by Brandon Rosales.
Dos Pueblos (19-8) countered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Porfiro Avila doubled to left and Corazza followed with a bunt single. The Chargers pulled off a successful double steal and pinch runner Ryan Beveridge beat the throw to home plate to tie the score at 1-1.
Daniel Vickers kept the inning going with a single and Jordan Drewisch was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Reveles hit a ground to third and the Pioneer Valley infielder threw the ball over the catcher’s head, allowing Corazza to score for a 2-1 lead. Vickers tried to score on the play but Panthers’ pitcher Mark Lopez covered the plate and tagged him out. Ben York hit a grounder to the right side to score Drewisch for the third run and Spiritosanto singled in Reveles to make it 4-1.
Pioneer Valley capitalized on a couple of wild pitches and cut the lead to 4-2 on a run-scoring single by Brandon Bing in the third.
A single by Chad De La Guerra, a walk to Rosales and the homer Guillan put the Panthers ahead 5-4.
But Speier, Reveles and Spiritosanto made sure DP’s season stayed alive for shot at the No. 1 team in the division.
