The Hollister American team wasn’t about to watch Hartnell hold
the banner up for the second consecutive year.
Hollister American rebounds to win 4-3 after loss last year
Special to The Free Lance
SALINAS –– The Hollister American team wasn’t about to watch Hartnell hold the banner up for the second consecutive year.
The White Sox defeated Hartnell 4-3 in the District 9 Minor Tournament of Champions Friday to bring home the flag.
With the injury to Eddie Munoz, John Barrera was called upon for an emergency start on the mound. Barrera responded with a gutsy four-inning performance and left the game with a 4-1 lead.
“Without Eddie we clearly wouldn’t have been where we were at,” said manager Angel Rueda. “He was our most consistent of starters and was always on base as the leadoff hitter. He did whatever we needed to get on. We might not even have been in TOCs if it weren’t for him. For Matt to step up like he did, that was big.”
Robert Henderson came in and bailed Barrera out of a bases-loaded jam, and the White Sox clung to a 4-3 lead. Henderson pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth and handed the ball in the sixth to Tyler Pina, who shut the door.
Pina, pitching through the heart of the order, hit the first batter but got the next batter to hit a long fly ball to Steven Hernandez in right field.
Aaron Armijo snagged a line drive and threw to Ray Rueda on second to get the force at second base. Pina blew three pitches right past the final batter.
Rueda started the game with a walk and scored on Richie Beltran’s single. In the bottom of the inning, Hartnell countered with a run on two base hits and a walk.
In the top of the third inning, Beltran put the White Sox back on top with a solo home run, his third of the tournament.
The White Sox went up 4-1 in the top of the fourth inning. Steven Hernandez and Aaron Armijo had back-to-back hits.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Giants turned three walks and a base hit into two runs to cut the White Sox lead to 4-3.
The White Sox had a couple of late scoring chances spoiled.
In the top of the fifth inning, Isaac Munoz started off with a base hit. Beltran was intentionally walked with two outs.
Pina hit a shot that appeared to be going over the shortstop’s head, but the shortstop made a great play for the Giants to keep the game within one run.
In the sixth inning, again Hernandez started the inning off with a base hit. Armijo followed with a double in the left field gap. But the Giants were able to stiffen up and get the next three batters.
