Sox survive in extras, top Diablos 8-7 in Central Coast Adult
League championship series opener
Watsonville – In a championship series opener for the ages, the Hollister Black Sox pulled out a thrilling, extra-inning victory. But it just as easily could have been their opponent, the Hollister Diablos, that took Game 1 of this best-of-three conclusion to the Central Coast Adult Baseball League season.
After the Diablos broke a 6-6 tie with a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning to take a 7-6 lead, they stood just three outs away from outlasting a team that owned them in the regular season.
But the determined Black Sox wouldn’t fold. With two outs, Leroy Dozal laced a bases-loaded single to left that scored two runs, vaulting the Black Sox from the doorstep of defeat to prancing off the field in control of the series after their 8-7 win.
“It was insane,” Black Sox manager Andrew Barragan said. “It was tough. Wow.”
Dozal had entered the game in the ninth as a relief pitcher. Diablos batter Kevin Orosco put Dozal in position to take the loss with his one-out sacrifice fly in the 10th, but the Black Sox closer had the last word with his own bat.
Cody Rodgers led off the bottom of the inning with a single to left and then the Diablos blinked with an infield error that allowed Sammy Stewart to reach base. Diablos pitcher Nick Bakich recovered to strike out the next two Black Sox batters, but then another infield error loaded the bases to set the stage for the dramatic conclusion.
Diablos manager Michael Montoya said his team needs to play a sharper game to challenge in the rest of the series.
“It was a tough-luck game,” Montoya said. “We left too many runners on base. We just couldn’t make the plays at the end of the game.”
The Diablos had at least one runner on base each inning, but left 11 runners stranded on base.
After four hard-fought games in the regular season, three of which the Black Sox won, it should be no surprise that Game 1 was a battle to the end.
Barragan said his older squad needs to maintain its focus until the very last pitch against it’s wily opponent.
“The Diablos are a young team,” he related, “and all they do is fight to the end. They don’t give up. You’ve got to almost play a perfect game.”
The series opener was tied three times: at 2-2, 4-4 and 6-6.
Even after the Black Sox took the opener, both managers said the series is far from over.
“I think the pressure’s still on them,” Montoya said after his team’s loss. “The ball’s pretty much in our court. The pressure’s on them to win it. On our side, we’ve just got to come out and play baseball.”
Barragan said taking the first game was huge, but that any letdown would be extremely costly for the Black Sox.
“Game 1 is big because you always want to get that first win under your belt,” Barragan said. “(But) they have the firepower to blank us 2-0.”
Game 2 will be played Sunday at San Benito High, with first pitch set for 10am.
