The El Camino Warriors’ offense got on the board in the top of the second inning with a single up the middle from Warriors third baseman Matt Beserra. The single would drive in the first run of the game, giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead over the San Joaquin Delta Mustangs.
The Mustangs would strike back later in the same inning with a solo home run from right fielder Vinny Bologna to lead off the inning.
The Warriors would battle back and defeat the Delta Mustangs 5-3 on Saturday, May 25, at John Euless Ballpark in Fresno, CA. This was each team’s first game of the final four portion of the 2019 California Community College Athletic Association Baseball Championships.
Warriors starting pitcher Jimmy Galicia said he was mad after giving up Bologna’s home run.
“I was just trying to throw hard but that wasn’t working for me,” Galicia said.
Galicia would walk the next batter and then give up a single into right field. He hit the next batter after that.
With the bases loaded and no outs, Mustangs third baseman Kevin Fitzgerald hit a sacrifice fly to give San Joaquin Delta a 2-1 lead.
Mustangs catcher Thomas Greely bunted towards second base, and sent a runner home, extending the Mustangs’ lead to 3-1.
Warriors coach Nate Fernley said it was very uncharacteristic of Galicia to give up a home run, a walk and hit a batter.
“It was just a bad series of batters from him,” Fernley said.
In the bottom of the fourth inning the Warriors cut the Mustangs’ lead with a Beserra solo home run over the left field wall.
Beserra said he saw the pitcher throwing a lot of fastballs, and was looking for it.
“I knew he was challenging with the fastball and challenging the team with it,” Beserra said.
With runners on first and second and one out in the sixth inning, Warriors utility player Logan Young entered the game to pinch hit for catcher Brendon Casillas.
Fernley said that Young is having a good year with the bat.
“I took a chance with him and it paid off,” Fernley said.
Young said he was looking to get on base anyway he could in order to drive in a run.
“We always say ‘Whatever it takes,'” Young said.
Young hit a line drive down the left field line and one run would score, tying the game at 3. An errant throw to home plate from Bologna caused runners to advance to second and third base.
Warriors shortstop Taishi Nakawake brought in another run in the top of the sixth inning, giving the Warriors a 4-3 lead.
The Warriors added an insurance run in the top of the ninth from center fielder Joseph Borges, increasing the lead to 5-3.
Fernley said that the Warriors are an experienced group.
“It’s huge to win the first game, but you want to win the first two games.”
The Warriors play the Orange Coast Pirates at John Euless Ballpark tomorrow, Sunday, May 26, at 2 p.m. The date of the game can possibly change due to the weather.
