Mullen outslugs Eaglecrest
Mustangs win 14-10.
It was as if it took an eternity, like a Rockies game, and why not?
There were 24 runs, 24 hits, eight errors, six pitchers, two wild pitches, seven extra-base hits, two home runs, three double plays, three passed balls and a pitcher who was injured on the mound over a seemingly longer 2 hours, 22 minutes.
Fittingly, Mullen’s 14-10 slugfest at Bill Swift Field in the Centennial League on Tuesday also came with another victory – Saturday’s 4-3 defeat at the Raptors was negated and a win was awarded to the Mustangs after it was determined Eaglecrest violated the mandatory pitch-count rule.
Pardon Mustangs coach Nick Arcuri for breathing a sigh of relief, although he has been here before many times.
“We fought through it, we did,” he said after Mullen improved to 7-3 overall, 2-2 in league. “The first inning, (the Raptors) put up those four (runs) and we looked like a three-ring circus out there. Other than that, I thought we played a pretty good baseball game.”
With all of the numbers in the game, Mustangs junior Jack Vitry had a few himself. He had two triples; a single; five runs batted in, including an RBI groundout; along with making two errors at shortstop; was slow on another grounder that allowed a Raptor to grab an infield hit; and turned in a terrific dive to snare a line drive that he turned into a double play.
“Baseball is crazy,” the 6-foot-1, 170-pounder admitted.
Still, Vitry said, “I mean, all in all, it was a team effort. For all of the stuff that happened, it came together for us. It all comes down to the team. It was a little rough out there, but if you make a mistake you have to know the team is behind you.”
As usual, Mullen received contributions throughout its lineup. In addition to Vitry, A.J. Naha had a double and scored twice. Evan Malloy had a home run and run-scoring single. Cameron Brickley reached base on an error and scored. Brennen Nolte singled twice and had an RBI, as did Michael Stanford. Freshman Trevor Moore homered. As for pinch-hitters, Jack Golenzer doubled and scored, and Jadin Tafoya had a two-run single.
On the mound, starter Matthew Tafoya and Jayden Mayoral were touched for five runs each and combined for seven walks, although Arcuri said he was pleased Tafoya settled in after the four-run first “and gave me four great innings.”
Plus, the coach said, “it was the first time in five games in which we didn’t walk the leadoff hitter in the seventh inning.”
Arcuri said with the Mustangs playing four games in six days it’s time for a day off and wait out the storm that is coming Wednesday.
MULLEN 14, EAGLECREST 10
Eaglecrest 400 015 0 – 10 8 4
Mullen – 300 722 x – 14 16 4
Eaglecrest – Freeman cf 3-3-3-0, Tisdale c-3b-1b 2-0-0-0, Weir-Costa cr 0-1-0-0, Morr ss 4-1-0-0, Garduno 3b-p 3-1-2-1, Yarmer 3b 0-0-0-0, Atteberry 1b-p 3-0-1-1, Macomber dh 3-1-1-1, Van Damme c 0-0-0-0, Lowe rf 2-1-0-1, Schmidt lf 3-1-0-0, Petrocco lf 0-0-0-0, Mason 2b 3-1-1-3, Cave p 0-0-0-0, Niccum p 0-0-0-0. Totals 26-10-8-7.
Mullen – Naha lf 3-2-1-0, Aragon ph 1-0-0-0, Elges 2b 3-3-3-0, Vitry ss 4-1-3-5, Malloy 3b 3-2-2-3, Brickley rf 4-1-0-0, Nolte c 4-0-2-1, Reynolds cr 0-1-0-0, Brady cr-ph 1-1-0-0, Stanford cf 3-0-2-1, Perri 1b 3-0-0-0, Golenzer 1b 1-1-1-0, Moore dh 2-2-1-1, J. Tafoya ph 1-0-1-2, M. Tafoya p 0-0-0-0, Mayoral p 0-0-0-0. Totals 33-14-16-13.
E – Tisdale 2, Mason, Lowe, Vitry 2, Brickley, Stanford. DP – Mullen 2, Eaglecrest. SB –Stanford. CS – Tisdale, Elges.
2B – Naha, Golenzer. 3B – Vitry 2, Mason. HR – Malloy, 1 on in 1st; Moore, solo in 5th.
Batteries – Cave, Niccum (5), Garduno (5), Atteberry (6) and Tisdale, Van Damme (6); M. Tafoyra, Mayoral (6) and Nolte. W – M. Tafoya. L – Cave. WP – Cave 2. HBP –Garduno (by M. Tafoya); Malloy (by Cave). PB – Nolte 3. T – 2:22.
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