On one of the hottest days of the year, the Inland Valley Legends hosted a doubleheader against CPCL opponents Pirates and Bucs at Azusa Pacific University.
The Legends and Bucs both got off to slow starts, but have picked up momentum recently. The Pirates won their first game, but have struggled mightily ever since, losing their last eight games.
All three teams are talented and can beat each other any day, but the Pirates have drawn the short end of the stick over the past two weeks.
Game one started between the Legends and Pirates at 1 PM.
The Legends wasted no time getting their offense going, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first off of five hits, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. The Legends were positioned to score even more until the Pirates rolled a badly needed double play.
The Pirates responded in the next frame, scoring one and creating some momentum of their own.
The Legends scored another run in the third, but they had the opportunity to score two until shortstop Isaiah Walz made an incredible throw from the outfield grass to cut a runner down at home.
The Pirates loaded the bases in the fifth and looked poised to do some serious damage to the Legends’ lead. A hit batter allowed the Pirates to score one, but the next batter hit an unlucky line drive straight to the right fielder to end the promising rally.
Down by three in the seventh inning, the Pirates badly needed another rally to hopefully take the lead late.
Three consecutive singles to start the inning gave the Pirates the start they needed, but Legends’ pitching was able to limit the damage to two runs.
With their lead down to one run, the Legends needed to respond with some insurance runs. In the bottom of the seventh and eighth the Legends would add another five runs to bolster their lead to 10-4.
The highlight of the Legends’ late success at the plate was a solo home run from Nathan Hellein. The biggest contributor to the Legends’ offense was Will Medina who got three hits, scored two runs, and drove three runs in.
The Pirates were able to load the bases in the eighth, but Legends’ pitching came up clutch and ended the threat without surrendering a run. The Pirates had ducks on the pond again in the ninth, but the Legends were able to turn another double play, this time to end the game.
Game two saw the Legends remain while the Pirates exchanged places with the Bucs.
The Legends opened the scoring in the top of the third with one run from a Jackson Licata home run. The Bucs matched by scoring a run in the bottom of the inning on a sac fly.
In the fourth, Will Medina continued his stellar day by mashing a solo home run to left field.
The Legends could not hold their lead for long, and the Bucs went on to score three runs in the bottom of the fifth to establish a 4-2 lead.
The Legends looked as dangerous as ever when they loaded the bases in the sixth. Unfortunately for the Legends, they were not able to capitalize on the opportunity and only drove one run in from a Medina sac fly — his fifth RBI of the day.
Legends’ pitching was not able to slow the Bucs’ momentum, and they once again responded in the bottom of the inning by scoring another run to maintain their two-run lead.
Medina came through once again in the eighth with an RBI single to bring the score within one. The Bucs came with a vengeance in the bottom of the inning and blew the game wide open, scoring five to extend their lead to 10-4.
The situation looked bleak for the Legends in the ninth, but they never gave up. Down six runs, the Legends gave their best effort towards carrying out a seemingly impossible comeback.
The Legends relentlessly battled back, scoring four runs with their backs against the wall. With two outs and the tying run at the plate, the Bucs were finally able to obtain the final out of the game, ending the Legends’ valiant comeback attempt.
The Legends are now 5-6, the Bucs are 5-5-1, and the Pirates are 1-9.
The Pirates and the Bucs will meet up at Cal Poly Pomona’s Scolinos Field at 4 PM on Monday, and the Legends will be there on Tuesday to take on the Colton Nighthawks.
Inland Valley Baseball Association 