The Inland Valley Pirates traveled out to Palm Springs for a two-game series on Friday and Saturday against the Power.
The Power has been the CPCL’s best team over the past few years and hasn’t lost to the Pirates in over two years.
This year, the tables have turned as Charlie Reynoso’s Pirates have reloaded their roster with improved arms and bats. Friday night was a perfect example of the Pirates’ re-found form.
Cal State Fullerton pitcher Landon Martin set the table by pitching five scoreless innings, only allowing one hit and issuing one walk. Martin struck out six batters as well. Martin’s fastball was sitting in the low 90s, and he was locating it well; his curveball was untouchable for right-handed hitters, and his changeup was unhittable for left-handed hitters.
The only hit Martin gave up was a blooper to left field that hit the foul line.
Martin was relieved by Cal State Fullerton teammate Chris Hernandez in the sixth, and he looked sharp too. Hernandez pitched a perfect first inning, inducing two quick groundouts and a pop fly to left.
Cal State Fullerton freshman Esteban Olazaba helped his future teammate by making a beautiful play on a soft hit ground ball down the third base line.
Hernandez allowed a hit in the seventh, but escaped unscathed. In the eighth, Hernandez gave up a single and double, prompting the Pirates to bring in a third Cal State Fullerton pitcher, Bobby Mahoney. Mahoney balked home a run, but otherwise, he continued the great pitching and got out of the inning.
Up 4-1 in the ninth, Mahoney struck out the last two batters of the game to give the Pirates their first win over the Power in a few years.
The three Fullerton pitchers were fantastic, striking out 11 while only allowing one run.
Offensively, a fifth Fullerton player, Hunter Meyer, drove in the first run on a hard ground ball to short that squirmed away from the fielder.
The Pirates scored again in the fourth on a similar play with the bases loaded. Shortstop Isaiah Walz scalded a ball that deflected off the glove of the third baseman and bounced past the shortstop into left field, bringing in two runs.
In the top of the ninth, Diego Orozco scored on a wild pitch to add an insurance run.
Cole Howarth had the only extra-base hit of the day, a groundball past the shortstop that was hit so hard that it rolled all the way to the wall to allow Howarth to comfortably stroll into second.
On Saturday, the Pirates would attempt to be the first team to beat the Power twice this season.
Inland Valley Baseball Association 