Santaluces Rides Big Inning To Win Over Lake Worth

Anthony Nichols singled, tripled, drove in a run and scored three times for the Chiefs.

In day two of the Third Annual GCI Sportswear Classic baseball tournament, Santaluces capitalized on a seven-run, two-out rally in the fifth inning to defeat Lake
Worth 11-2 on Tuesday. With a ten AM game time at Dave Manzo Field, the contest was scoreless through three innings, and a one-run affair through four. The fifth inning was the difference.

After Santaluces’ eighth and ninth hitters were retired, the top of the Chiefs’ order went to work. Walks to A.J. Orrico and Luke Stemle set the table for Auston Smith’s RBI single up the middle. An error off the bat of Chris Morgia brought home both runners. Morgia stole second and took third on a wild pitch, and Anthony Nichols drove him home with a booming triple to deep straightaway left field. On ball four to Chad Tworek, an errant pick-off attempt at third plated Nichols. A ground ball to the left side was kicked into foul territory for a two-base error, putting Ben Fagen on second and moving Tworek to third. Two more walks brought home Tworek, and then Orrico singled to bring home the seventh and final run of the frame.

“All year it’s been that one inning,” said Lake Worth Assistant Coach Patrick Logan. “Every team will tell you, ‘we’re in the game, we’re in the game’, then it’s one stinkin’ inning.”

Santaluces starter, Casey Wager, had an exceptional outing. Wager went six innings, striking out four and walking none, while giving up just three hits and two unearned runs. Pitching solely from the stretch position and using a deceptive, three-quarter delivery of pitches featuring pronounced right to left movement, Wager threw 59 pitches, 47 for strikes.

“My delivery comes naturally; I’ve had it since I was a kid and I wasn’t able to break it,” said Wager. “I had a good day attacking the zone, and it ended up being successful for me.”

A botched hit-and-run and fine defensive play by Orrico defused a Trojan threat in the first. Tyler VanderSande singled to reach base and then was running on the pitch when Jon Rodriguez struck a soft liner to second baseman Auston Smith for the 4-3 double play. Orrico then ranged deep into the hole to throw out Dan Fox by a step to end the inning. Orrico made a similarly sparkling play from the hole to deny VanderSande in the fourth.

“Our freshman shortstop, Orrico, is doing great right now – a little Derek Jeter,” said Zach Halpern, a junior coming back from an ankle injury. “He’s hitting something over .500 and he got on four times today.”

The Chiefs drew first blood in the fourth, following the Trojans’ double-assisted, 9-4-5 putout of Morgia, who was trying to stretch a leadoff double into a triple. As the runner arrived, the throw hopped neatly into Kevin Hankla’s mitt, instantly pinned against the bag by Morgia’s cleat. Nichols singled and stole second to instantly swing momentum back to Santaluces. A chopper to short by Tworek advanced Nichols to third, and he then scored on a wild pitch.

Freshman A. J. Orrico reached base four times and made several fine defensive plays for the Chiefs.

Utilizing their bench, the Chiefs’ final offensive flurry came in the sixth. The Chiefs’ reserves were successful in putting the ball in play following a single by M.J. Restivo. Bradley Johnson, McKay Giffin, Jacob Williams and Zach Halpern all made contact, resulting in four consecutive infield errors and the Chiefs’ final three runs.

The victory was the Chiefs’ third straight.

“We’re starting to play better,” said Santaluces’ Manager Nick Franco. “Players are getting healthy. We have to outwork people, out-scrap people, play clean defense and manufacture runs. We’re trying to right this ship.”

To the Trojans’ credit, they would have none of the 10-run, “Mercy Rule”. Down 11-0 with one out in the sixth, Hankla reached on an infield error. He then stole second, and VanderSande singled to move Hankla to third. VanderSande took off on a successful steal of second, with Hankla scoring on the throw. A stolen base and an infield error on a Jon Rodriguez ground ball brought home VanderSande.

“At bat, my focus was to poke the ball up the middle,” said VanderSande, who had two of the Trojans’ three hits. “We didn’t execute when we needed to defensively. We’ve got to get more used to the energy necessary for the game.”

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