Trinity Christian Survives John I. Leonard, 2-1

The Warriors’ Carlos Farias was spiked in the face during a tag play at third base.

After Monday’s games were rained out, the Santaluces Slam season-opening tournament got underway at Santaluces Sports Complex Tuesday evening. Trinity Christian got started with a win after outlasting John I. Leonard with a 2-1, walk-off victory. Edmond Americaan drew a bases-loaded walk to lead the Warriors to the close win.

Americaan also had two of his team’s three hits, with the shortstop Xavier Edwards picking up the other.

“It comes down to bottom of the seventh and we walked the run in,” said Lancers Manager Doug Magaw. “We competed with one of the better teams in the county. To keep a team like that to two runs; I guarantee you, they’ll score more than two runs in their other games in this tournament.”

Lancers starter Jose Garcia and Warriors starter Angel Tiburcio pitched strongly for five innings, each giving up just run. Defense also played its part. Warriors catcher Shadrach Meulens muted a Lancers charge in the second inning, picking a runner off first base to erase a leadoff single. Lancers first baseman Angel Diaz returned the favor in the bottom of the inning, snaring a line shot off the bat of Aldrich de Jongh and stepping on the bag for an unassisted double play.

The Lancers drew first blood in the top of the fourth inning, starting with a free pass to second baseman, Jason Angulo. Daniel Hernandez sacrificed him over, and one out later, Moises Carrasco found the right field gap for an RBI double.

The Warriors answered in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, consecutive walks to Edwards and Bruce Martin set the table for Edmond Americaan’s RBI single to center. Another walk would load the bases, but Jose Garcia was able to induce a ground out to second, ending the threat.

The Lancers drew more blood, but didn’t score in what may have been the turning point in the top of sixth. Angulo led off by taking a pitch off his helmet, and then advancing to second on a walk to Daniel Hernandez. Diaz put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up and, when Angulo took a big turn at third it induced a throw to the base. In diving for the catch third baseman Carlos Farias collided with Angulo, who was sliding back safely to the bag. Farias came up with a bloodied face, resulting in a ten minute delay.

“I dove to catch it and he dove back to the base at the same time and his cleat and my face met.” said Farias, while sporting a butterfly facial bandage. “It doesn’t really hurt. I was excited in the moment and just wanted to get back in the game.”

Two pitches after play resumed, Warriors Manager Miguel Cuello thwarted a squeeze play, directing his man on the mound, de Jonge, to execute a pitch-out. The play worked and Meulens applied the tag on the runner in an unassisted run-down to quell the threat.

“I know how how their coach plays the game and during the delay I told my team, I don’t know when but the squeeze play is coming,” said Cuello.

In the seventh, leadoff walks to Edwards and Martin preceded an attempted sacrifice bunt by Jowenrick Daantji, who reached on a throwing error to load the bases and bring up Americaan.

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