Diablos rally from early 3-0 deficit to win the Central Coast
Adult Baseball championship over the Black Sox
Watsonville – What a way to go out. With the team set to disband in the offseason, the Hollister Diablos made sure to make their swan song count. In the winner-takes-all Game 3 of the Central Coast Adult Baseball league championship series, the Diablos blasted the Hollister Black Sox 11-4 to secure the title at Watsonville High Wednesday night.
Taking advantage of several Black Sox defensive miscues, the Diablos overcame an early 3-0 deficit behind another solid effort on the mound by starter Kalev Betancourt.
The Black Sox took control of the series with a dramatic, 10-inning victory on Aug. 16, but their cross-town rivals calmly took the field at San Benito High four days later to even the series with an 11-9 win. Diablos manager Michael Montoya said his team never doubted its ability to win the best-of-three series.
“We were pretty confident the whole time,” Montoya related. “We knew we had the better team. Our team never blinked. We knew if we played our baseball that we would win the championship.”
The Black Sox came out of the gates fast Wednesday, putting the Diablos in an early hole after drawing three walks against Betancourt to open the game. Two fielder’s choices brought home the first two runs and a passed ball pushed the score to 3-0 in the first inning.
But the Diablos answered right back. After Nick Bakich drew a walk against Black Sox starter Leroy Dozal, Nick Langone followed with a single. Once Matt Hudson walked, the Diablos were in business. Kevin Orosco’s sacrifice fly drove in the first run and then catcher Seth Hudson evened the score with a two-run single. Then Manny Chavez connected on a sacrifice fly to put the Diablos up 4-3.
“It was huge,” Montoya said of erasing the Black Sox’s lead. “It kind of got their team down after we got those runs right back.”
Dozal reached base on an error in the bottom of third, and then pinch runner Kevin Hatchett came around to score on Gabby Estrada’s RBI single, tying the game at 4-4. But then the wheels came off for the Black Sox.
The top of the fourth didn’t start off well for the Black Sox, with two errors allowing the Diablos to retake the lead at 5-4. To Dozal’s dismay, it got even worse as the Diablos loaded the bases with a walk, another infield error and then a hit batter.
Then came the play that changed the entire complexion of the game. Betancourt drove Dozal’s pitch into right field and the ball fell beyond the grasp of Rob Picha and rolled all the way to the wall, scoring all three baserunners. With Betancourt trying for third, shortstop Hatchett’s throw sailed past the bag, allowing Betancourt himself to score, blowing the game open at 9-4.
The Diablos scored two more runs in the inning on a double by Orosco that completed the scoring.
Betancourt was solid on the mound after the first, striking out three and never allowing a big inning.
Black Sox manager Andrew Barragan said the disastrous fourth was made all the worse because of the errors.
“It was a heart-breaker,” Barragan said. “All those runs were unearned. It’s always tough when you lose a game like that. Leroy pitched a helluva game and our defense just didn’t show up.”
The Black Sox enjoyed a 3-1 advantage over the Diablos in the regular season, but have just one postseason victory over their rival to show for their efforts.
“For whatever reason, I think a lot of guys were nervous before the game and it carried over,” said Barragan, citing the defensive letdowns. “I think this is the first game we had a lead and we let it go. Every time we had a lead, we built up on it. I can’t remember a game this year when we had a lead and lost it. I don’t know. It’s frustrating.”
Set to retire as manager, Montoya was thrilled his team could finish on the top of the heap.
“It’s great,” the Diablos’ manager said. “With everyone retiring, this makes the championship even better. We can go out as champs.”
