East wins East-west All-star game
Local players contribute to victory
For only the third time in 11 years, the East won the 57th Annual East-west Allstar Baseball Game, breaking a four-game losing streak.
For only the third time in 11 years, the East won the 57th Annual East-west Allstar Baseball Game, breaking a four-game losing streak.
Coached by Porterville’s Mike Hill and his assistant coaches, the East beat the West 4-2 on Wednesday evening at Rawhide Stadium in Visalia.
“It was good,” said Hill. “Local kids all played well. Kids were all excited. It’s a good group of players, not a lot of coaching going on. But no, great group of kids.”
Porterville shortstop Isaiah Gomez and pitcher Jake Hernandez; Strathmore second baseman Brandon Delk; Granite Hills pitcher Derek Steidley; Lindsay third baseman Jesus Espinoza, right fielder Robert Gomez and shortstop Xavier Munoz participated in the allsenior game.
“It was a good experience,” said Munoz. “I like playing with different guys, getting to know new people and just seeing how much everybody else loves the game. And that’s cool meeting new people that love the game just as much as I do and have fun with them.”
The East got on the board early with Tulare Western’s Hector Rubacalba getting a leadoff hit over the center fielder’s head for a triple. His teammate, Blaze Hickey, brought him with a sacrifice hit to the second baseman.
Both teams pitched well and the score stayed at 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth inning when Isaiah’s Rbi-triple to center field scored Exeter’s Alex Lagrutta. With only one out, Hernandez hit a sacrifice to right field for what turned out to be the winning run.
“Just playing the game, playing baseball,” said Hill. “When
you get a guy on third with less than two outs. The whole objective is to score him. And the infield was playing [in] and we needed him to hit a fly ball and he did. Pays off in the end.”
In the bottom of the sixth, Steidley drew a walk and Western’s Wyatt Gilbert went in for him as a pinch runner. One out later, Espinoza hit an Rbi-double to bring in Gilbert for an insurance run.
Gilbert was the Most Valuable Player of the game after getting the start on the mound. He pitched three shutout innings, with two strikeouts
and gave up on one hit. On offense, he was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
Hernandez relieved Gilbert in the fourth and also had three shutout innings. He gave up one hit and struck out three batters.
“It was fun, playing with a different group of guys,” said Hernandez. “Getting to meet new guys, play with different guys, play with the rivals in the league and stuff like that. But it was fun, you know we came out with the win and it was awesome.”
In the seventh inning, Steidley relieved Hernandez and gave up two hits and two runs.
“First kid Wyatt pitched great,” said Hill.
“Jake pitched great. Steidley pitched great, we just didn’t make a couple of plays. The last kid [Tulare Western’s Elijah Parks] is really good, he’s going to Cal State Bakersfield and he was pretty dominating. We pitched really well.”
For some players the All-star game was their final game of their baseball career but for others, it was just their last one in high school.
Hernandez will move on to play at the College of Sequoias while Munoz is headed to Reedley College. Steidley is going to North Dakota where he will pitch for Valley City State University.