The game was tied, 5-5 with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning when a wild pitch by Pierce College reliever, Elliot Keene, produced a run in a come-from-behind 6-5 win for Moorpark at Raiders Stadium.
The Brahmas had a comfortable, 5-3, lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, but the never-say-die Raiders tied it on a crucial hit by catcher, Parker Hindle, with runners on second and third and one out.
“I hit a single to the right side over the second baseman’s head to score two runs to tie it up,” Hindle said. “Thomas [Luevano] laid down a great bunt for me and got the guys into scoring position.”
With two outs and one on in the ninth, Terrell Tate was hit by a pitch, and Ryan Mulville walked to load the bases. Keene then threw a ball in the dirt to the backstop to present Moorpark with the winning run.
“It was back and forth the entire day,” said leftfielder Riley Conlan, who led off the comeback in the ninth with a base hit. “They were hitting the ball all over the place, but the pitchers kept us in it. It was nice coming away with a W.”
Starter, Wyatt Birg, who constantly struggled with runners on base, pitched six complete innings and gave up two runs. His record remains at 5-3. Reliever Bryan Marberry pitched two innings and gave up a run in the eighth. Third baseman/pitcher Thomas Luevano picked up the win, even though he ceded a two-run lead to the Brahmas in the top of the ninth.
“Luckily we had enough fight in us to come back,” Marberry said. “It was a good battle.”
Pierce struck in the second inning, when Jordan Abushahla’s double scored a runner from first. Jeff Wright’s double, with one out and two on, drove home the second run.
“When you stay with it and keep competing, that’s what happens, you win,” head coach, Mario Porto said. “In the last inning, we had some great at-bats to get guys on base. We had good poise and composure. Now [the team] has an attitude like, ‘we’re going to win.’ It’s part of growing up, and I’m pleased with that.”
The Raiders tied the game in the sixth, when Terrell Tate’s base hit with two on drove in Hindle, whose double started the inning. With one out, Dalton Duarte’s RBI fly ball to right scored the runner from third. The Brahmas went ahead with a run in the eighth, but Duarte’s base hit sent a runner home from third to tie it again.
“We stayed with the bats the entire game,” said Luevano, whose final words rang true. “It doesn’t matter when you have the lead, so long as you lead at the end.”
Moorpark is now 14-12 overall, and 7-10 in the WSC, Northern Division. Moorpark hosts LA Valley College at Raider Stadium, Thursday, April 2 at 2:30 p.m.
