Page A12 • May 15, 2014 • Inland Empire Community Newspapers
Mathewson, Padilla help San Gorgonio rebounds to beat Carter Kaiser clinch Sunkist League
PHOTO/RICHARD DAWSON
Chris Mathewson struck out 12 during Kaiser's 3-0 win over Grand Terrace to clinch the Sunkist League title.
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BY Richard Dawson
dominant pitching staff and high powered offense had made sure no team has come close to beating Kaiser in Sunkist League this season. Kaiser (22-1, 13-0 League) ace Chris Mathewson was in vintage form, holding the Grand Terrace offense scoreless as he has many offenses this season, striking out 12 in the process. What came as a surprise was Grand Terrace (12-10-1, 7-5-1) starter Albert Valdez matching zeros with him for six innings. This time, it wasn’t a home run, or even an extra base hit that sparked the Kaiser offense, instead it was a timely bunt single by Ray Padilla to lead off the top of the seventh and manufactured a hard fought 3-0 win over Grand Terrace. “All these seniors know how to bunt,” said Kaiser Head Coach Michael Spinuzzi. “They have been with me for four years, Ray
saw an opportunity, that was all Ray Padilla.” Padilla found himself in a pickle and was nearly thrown out in between first and second after a missed bunt attempt by Daniel Huizar, but the Titans couldn’t execute on the run down. “We had our bunt play on,” said Grand Terrace head coach Mike Reh. “We get the runner (Padilla) in a rundown, unfortunately for our side, he gets around our first baseman and is safe, that’s the winning run.” Huizar got a bunt down on the next pitch to move Padilla to second. Padilla then stole third and scored on a single by Joe Gonzalez for what would be the gamewinning run. Things unraveled a little bit for the Titans after that as an error and a single by Mathewson led to two more runs. Valdez had limited the Kaiser offense to four hits and two walks before the Padilla bunt single. The win clinched Kaiser’s fourth league title in five years.
PHOTO/RICHARD DAWSON
Albert Valdez held the Kaiser high-powered offense to three runs, two earned, over seven innings.
PHOTO/RICHARD DAWSON
Jason Atilano hits an RBIsingle for the Spartans in the bottom of the fourth.
PHOTO/RICHARD DAWSON
Rainier Aguilar struck out 13 in a 2-1 win for San Gorgonio to hand Carter its first San Andreas league loss this season.
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BY Richard Dawson
12-1 League) had its heart of the lineup coming to the plate. Aguilar battled, inducing a groundball from Marcos Castanon to third baseman Adan Alvarado, who touched his bag but couldn’t throw out Castanon at first. Still having the tying and goahead runs on base and cleanup hitter Jose Gonzalez batting, Lujan made a costly base running mistake at second. Aguilar caught Lujan leaning too far from the bag and threw a pickoff to second, resulting in a run down and after a few back-andforth throws, the Titans tagged him out for the second out. Aguilar proceeded to strike out Gonzalez on three-straight pitches and punctuate a strong performance. “We were playing for pride,” said
Eatinger. “They’re going to win league unless something reckless happens, but we want to end our season on a positive note and get a good draw in the playoffs.” The Spartans got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two runs off Lions starter John Landazuri. Two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out for San Gorgonio (19-3, 11-2). Landazuri issued another walk to Alvarado to bring in the first run and Jason Atilano added an RBI single to bring in the second run and end Landazuri’s day. Carter answered in the top of the fifth when an RBI single from Castanon scored Ryan Maestas, who had singled and stolen two bases to lead off the inning.
day after losing to Rialto Carter 2-1 despite pitcher Hazahel Quijada tossing a no-hitter, San Gorgonio got another strong performance from Rainier Aguilar to edge its rival 21. Aguilar, typically a catcher and making just his second start of the season, went the distance for the Spartans, striking out 13 and hand the Lions their first loss in San Andreas League action this season. “He didn’t have his first start of the year until last week,” said San Gorgonio Head Coach Bill Eatinger. “He is so valuable behind the plate, but we rolled the dice and gave him a start last week, because he can help us in the playoffs, and he threw a no-hitter.” It didn’t come easy, as Chris Lujan earned a lead-off walk to start the top of the seventh. Adam Lovell followed with a sacrifice bunt that was fielded cleanly by PHOTO/RICHARD DAWSON Aguilar, but his throw to second ended up in center field to put two on with no outs and Carter (18-5, Carter's Ryan Maestas beats a throw to steal third base.