Jordan Rico, Kellen Montogomery and Ryan Speshyock delivered on the mound, and the Dos Pueblos lineup strung together timely hits on its way to a 4-3 victory over first-place San Marcos on Tuesday afternoon.

#10 Ethan Rodriguez slides underneath the tag of Dos Pueblos catcher #15 Joaquin Sandoval. | Credit: Lily Chubb

The Royals came into the game unbeaten in Channel League play, but the Chargers showed incredible poise, scoring all of their runs with two outs to secure the crucial victory.

“You always draw it up in your mind a certain way and it’s a matter of if it actually goes that way and today it went exactly as we hoped,” said Dos Pueblos coach George Hedricks of how he deployed his pitchers. “It was a good game for the boys. They went out there and did that.”

 San Marcos broke through first in the top of the third inning. Lance Bermudes led off the inning on a walk. Joaquin Sandoval reached on an error with one out and Bradley Cekada drove them in with a two-out double to put the Royals ahead 2-0.

However, Dos Pueblos immediately responded in the bottom of the third inning. Rico led off the inning with a walk. Montgomery jump started the inning with a two out triple that brought home Rico cutting the deficit to 2-1. Speshyock followed with a single that drove in Montgomery to even the score at 2-2.


Sign up for Indy Today to receive fresh news from Independent.com, in your inbox, every morning.


The next batter, Ethan Rodriguez, was hit by a pitch and Josh Brennan followed with a clutch single that brought home the go ahead runs Speshyock and Rodriguez to give Dos Pueblos a 4-2 lead.

No. 9 Ryan Speshyoch flashed his electric ability on the mound in the final inning. Photo Credit: Lily Chubb

“To be able to keep passing the stick to where Brennan ultimately got the big hit to put the two extra RBI’s in is huge with two outs against a really good pitcher,” Hedricks said. “Again that’s all credit to the boys going up there and fighting.”

San Marcos was in great position to retake the lead in the top of the fifth inning as the first three batters in the inning reached base. Sandoval walked to lead off the inning and the next two batters Nicky Fell and Owen Estabrook both singled through to right field loading the bases with no outs.

Cekada followed with a sac fly to left field that brought home Sandoval cutting the San Marcos deficit to 4-3, but that’s all San Marcos could muster in the inning as Aidan Mandel’s deep fly ball to right field with the bases loaded was tracked down.

“We definitely had runners on, but they continued to throw strikes. They didn’t make mistakes. They made us put the ball in play,” said San Marcos coach Wesley Ghan Gibson. “Credit to them they protected their home field.”

Speshyock took the mound in the top of the seven to close the game and retired San Marcos in order, including back-to-back strikeouts to finish the game.

Dos Pueblos (9-9 overall, 4-2 Channel League) and San Marcos (11-6 overall, 7-1 Channel League) will match up again on Friday at San Marcos beginning at 3:30 p.m.


Support the Santa Barbara Independent through a long-term or a single contribution.


Login

Please note this login is to submit events or press releases. Use this page here to login for your Independent subscription

Not a member? Sign up here.