Strong pitching performance not enough in 3-2 loss
San Juan Bautista – The bats never came alive for the Anzar baseball team and the Hawks spoiled a strong pitching performance from Austin McKinney in a 3-2 loss Tuesday to Anchorpoint Christian.
“We couldn’t get the big hit,” Anzar coach Andrew Barragan said.
After both teams went scoreless in the first, the Hawks took the early advantage with some well-executed small ball in the second.
Massimo Marra-Biggs led off with a walk, moved to third on a pair of stolen bases and scored on a base hit by Adam Wilkinson.
McKinney then had his strongest inning of the day in the third, striking out the side as part of a streak of five straight strike outs.
But Anchorpoint finally got to him in the fourth. Ryan Tapla led off with a single before Victor Rodriguez blasted a two-run homer to right-center.
Robert Apolinar followed with a single, but McKinney settled down and retired the side.
Anzar threatened in the fourth. Adrian Monroy, Scott Benson and Paolo Marra-Biggs each walked to load the bases, but Rodriguez – who pitched a complete game two-hitter for the Warriors – recorded a strike out to end the threat.
Anchorpoint got its insurance in the fifth when Justin Ringer walked and eventually scored on a Tapla RBI single.
The Hawks loaded the bases again in the fifth and got one run when Massimo Marra-Biggs hit a sacrifice fly, but Rodriguez got out of the jam and Anzar went down quietly in the final two innings.
“We have to work the count,” Barragan said. “In the inning we scored, we were watching the pitches. But in the late innings, we were first pitch swinging. The offense is in a funk right now. We’re not coming through with runners in scoring position.”
Anchorpoint 000 210 0 – 3 5 0
Anzar 010 010 0 – 2 2 0
Rodriguez and Wylie. McKinney and P. Marra-Biggs.
