Mavericks Stay Alive While Delaying Pirates’ Playoff Push

On Friday, the Inland Valley Pirates traveled down to Fullerton College to play their third game against the SoCal Mavericks. 

Coming into the game, the Pirates held the No.1 seed while the Mavs were the No.4 seed. To make a final playoff push, the Mavs surely needed to win their remaining games, two of which are against the Pirates. 

In the first inning, the Mavericks showed their urgency, as Mifflin hit a RBI single up the middle to secure a 1-0 lead. The Mavs added on again in the third on an almost identical hit from Macis that extended the lead to 2-0. 

On the mound, Slater Theisen dominated for the Mavs. Over four innings, Theisen cruised through the Pirates’ lineup, only allowing two baserunners and no runs. 

When Theisen was relieved in the fifth, the Pirates were finally able to get something started. Darin Osterloh drew a leadoff walk, then stole second and third. Connor Tallakson did his job by hitting a blooper over the head of the second baseman to drive Osterloh in and get the Pirates on the board. 

Another single, and another walk loaded the bases for Cody White, who hit a Sacrifice Fly to the center fielder to tie the game. 

It felt like the Pirates had flipped the momentum of the game, but they struggled to shut the Mavs down in the bottom of the inning. 

With one out, the Mavericks loaded the bases, allowing Macis to pick up his second RBI of the game on a Sacrifice Fly to right field to retake the lead. 

The Pirates started another rally in the sixth in response, and Waldie Perez was able to tie the game on an infield single with two outs. 

Unfortunately for the Pirates, the Mavericks were very motivated to take the win, and in the bottom of the sixth, they scored four more runs to put the game out of reach. 

Juarez, Takahashi, and Mendes all came up with big RBI hits, with Mendes’s impressively going off the top of the right field wall. 

The Mavs added one more run in the bottom of the 7th to extend the lead to 8-3. The Pirates were able to add one more run on a second Waldie Perez single, but they ultimately fell. 

The Mavs’ win keeps them alive for the playoffs, though they still need to win out. The Pirates are still in position to make the playoffs, but the loss makes the margin of error thinner. 

The two teams will meet again on Saturday, this time at Mt. SAC.