Spanish River Rallies Past Olympic Heights

Coby Robin (3-1) picked up the win with five-and-two-third innings in which he allowed one unearned run and struck out four.

Monday night’s results came as a great reward for manager William Harvey and the Spanish River Sharks. The team has put a lot of work in this season on improving the offense, and signs of that hard work reflected as Spanish River rode some clutch hits to gain a 9-2 home victory over the Olympic Heights Lions.

Coach Harvey felt the difference in the game came in the fact that his guys did a good job of trying to read themselves, read the pitcher and read the situation. The Sharks (6-4) didn’t do a lot of situational plays with hit-and-runs and bunts, and managed to get the job done with timely swings and well-placed hits.

“It was really more station-to-station, but it was some clutch hits, and that’s what got it done for us on offense tonight,” Harvey said. “Our kids have done a pretty good job these past couple of weeks of trying to get better every time they’ve gone up to bat. There are different things you have to look at when a pitcher thinks he’s getting a book on you, and sometimes you just have to shorten up your swing and go the other way instead of trying to pull everything. We hit some balls really nice in the opposite-field gap, and a couple of them made the difference out there tonight.”

Olympic Heights got going right away and had the momentum early on, taking a lead in the first while starter Trevor Valleau and the rest of the Lions worked out of trouble to keep Spanish River off the scoreboard. Brooks Lamb reached on an error to start the game, advanced thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Sebastian Morillo and scored on a throwing error to give Heights a 1-0 lead.

Meanwhile Valleau ran into trouble in the first before inducing a pair of flyouts to escape it unscathed. Nick Perez then ripped a lead-off single to right to start the second, but the Lions responded when Morillo snared a liner and tossed to Mike Hopta covering second base for the quick double play.

The second time through the order the Sharks made some adjustments at the plate and it paid off with a two-out rally that put them in the lead. Hopta singled up the middle and Jorel Ortega followed by crushing a liner deep to center field for an RBI triple that tied things up. A throwing error then allowed Ortega to come home with the winning run.

“I was just concentrating on getting on top of the ball,” Ortega said. “If I get on top of the ball I can make something happen and just put the ball in play, because on a ground ball 60% of the time you do not get out. So I was just trying to put the ball in play, and then I was thinking third the whole way. I had second already so I just tried to get that extra bag. It was good for us.”

With all the momentum now on their side, the Sharks added a run the next inning. Matt Dignotti singled to left, Jake Luongo ripped a base hit past the first baseman and Sam Schner rolled an RBI single up the middle to bring Dignotti home.

The Lions (0-8) kept swinging and fighting to take the momentum back. Sharks lefty starter Coby Robin was crafty and efficient, but they still managed base runners in each of the first six innings of play. Olympic Height stranded nine base runners on the night.

Olympic Height’s Brandon O’Bryant celebrates with manager Casey Beck after smacking a triple in the first inning.

“We’ve got to cut down on the mental mistakes; we’re just giving games away,” Lions manager Casey Beck said. “We need to cut down on the mental errors and just play relaxed, instead of so tight all the time. It is frustrating and we just need to execute mentally in between our ears.”

Olympic Heights loaded the bases in the sixth to threaten one last time. Cameron Baillargeon singled to left and Michael Greff and Roger Edge both walked to force the Sharks to the bullpen for reliever Hesh Gretson. Brooks Lamb put the ball in play down the left field line, but the third baseman Schner fielded it cleanly and beat the runner to the bag to record the force out that quieted the rally attempt.

Spanish River broke things open with six runs in the sixth. Luongo walked, Schner reached on a fielder’s choice off a sac-bunt attempt and Getson singled to right to load the bases. Ortega delivered again, this time with a liner that skipped just fair of the white chalk down the right field line for a two-RBI double. Jake Fishman followed with his second hit of the night, an RBI single that also allowed Ortega to score on an error. Nick Perez then reached on an error that plated Fishman, and he later came in off a passed ball.

Getson needed just eight pitches to retire the side in order in the seventh to preserve the victory.

“If we can get to Hesh late we feel pretty good for ourselves, because he’s done a great job for us,” Harvey said. “That second time through the order made the difference, and then picking up that six spot the third time through was really big, obviously. It is for anybody, but certainly for us; we’re a little thin in pitching.”

The Lions have a tough road ahead on the schedule, but are also still alive in district play. Beck knows the effort that is being put forth by everyone to get the team going will pay off. The team knows a win will go a long way to get them going.

“It doesn’t get any easier and we have to get off the schnide eventually,” Beck said. “Santaluces started 0-8 last year and then they went on an eight-game winning streak, so I have total faith in them to come back and show that what we are on paper we are able to do. It is frustrating that it hasn’t translated to a win yet.”

Lions starter Trevor Valleau allowed two earned runs in three-and-a-third innings.

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