Malcolm Gordon launched a three-run home run for the Warriors on Friday. (Presidio Sports File Photo)
Carpinteria threatened to hand St. Bonaventure its first Tri-Valley league loss on Friday but the Warriors’ rally came up short in an 11-9 decision at Calderwood Field.
St. Bonaventure improves to 10-0 in the league standings and clinches a share of the league championship. The Seraphs took an 8-2 lead after three innings but couldn’t hold the lead against the Warriors.
Ricky Medina started the rally with a two-out, two-run double in the fourth inning. Then in the fifth, down 8-4, Malcolm Gordon blasted a three-run homer over the fence to pull the Warriors within one.
St. Bonaventure added a run making the score 9-7.
Carpinteria kept coming and pulled even in the bottom of the sixth. Jose Carrillo delivered the fifth extra-base hit for the Warriors, this one a ground-rule double that scored Medina and Jonah Spach.
The Seraphs scratched two across in the top of seventh to gain the upper hand.
“The game was quite an adventure. Early struggles, plenty of controversy, an exciting come back, some inspired play and it ended in frustration,” reported Warriors head coach Pat Cooney. “We dug a really big whole for ourselves early which we were able to recover from to tie the score. Unfortunately, we never quite got over the hump and they escaped with the win. The good news is that we got to see some really good play from several people and we were challenged to play at a high level. Within the framework of a loss, there were some real confidence building moments.”
Gordon led the offense going 3 for 4 with three RBI and scoring three runs. Medina, Jonah Spach and Walker each had two hits.
Cooney gave a nod to the battery of David Martinez and freshman catcher Toby Spach. Martinez kept the Warriors in the game in the later innings and Spach was a big part of that.
“(He’s) been developing quickly and had his best game to date, guiding the pitchers, blocking multiple tough pitches in key situations, and nabbing a Seraph trying to steal in the 7th,” Cooney said.
Carpinteria finishes out its season next week with a home and away series against Malibu, starting on Tuesday in Carpinteria.
LINESCORE:
116 001 2 11 11 3
020 232 0 9 13 2
Bravo J., Bravo, R(4), Dickey (6), Vines (7) and Alonzo, H., Renaud (5)
Delgado, Martinez(3), and Spach, T.
WP – Dickey
LP – Martinez
2B C Medina, Spach, J., Delgado, Carrillo
3B SB Vines
HR C Gordon (1) 5th, 2 on
