Baler baseball team rallies to defeat Palma in eight
The San Benito baseball team defeated Palma 7-6 Friday in eight innings.
“We have been playing a lot better especially when in our hitting,” said Baler coach Derek Barnes. “We told the players this is how we are capable of playing all the time. We think they are starting to believe it, especially over the past 7 or 8 games. Hopefully we can use this momentum in this second half.”
In the eighth inning, Anthony Vasquez walked. Pitch runner Nick Gonzales stole second and third base. With no outs and two on, Drew Quintana hit a slow roller to second that Palma opted to use as a double play rather than go home.
Justin Patton pitched 7 1/3 strong innings, keeping the Palma hitters off balance. Breyon Canez got the final two outs in the eight for his second save on the season.
San Benito (4-6 TCAL) scored a run in the first after Canez hit a one-out double. He got a good read on the pitcher and stole third. On the steal attempt, Anthony Synegal hit a ball in the hole at second, the second baseman went first and Canez scored.
In the third, Scott Mead doubled, then was sacrificed to third by Gabe Gaitan. Synegal’s one-out sacrifice fly scored Mead.
Palma took a 5-2 lead in the third thanks to two out two-run singles by Luke Lippincott and Ben Gardiner.
But the Balers came back in the fourth with two runs of their own. Anthony Vasquez singled, and Brett Fulgoni drove a 3-1 pitch over the left field fence.
San Benito tied the game in the fifth when Synegal was walked with two outs and Karson Klauer hit a double in the gap.
Palma took the lead in the bottom of the inning on a errant throw to second on a steal attempt, which put the runner on third base. The runner scored on a sacrifice fly.
In the sixth inning, Brett Fulgoni hit an infield single, then went to second on a bad throw by the shortstop. Drew Quintana moved him to third with a ground ball to second, and Seth Hudson drove Fulgoni in with a sacrifice fly to center.
San Benito will be at Live Oak on April 28.
