Tag: pittsburgh

After sweeping the Palm Springs Power, the Inland Valley Pirates traveled to UC Riverside to face off against the first-place Legends. 

The Legends have already beaten the Pirates twice this season and came into the game with the chance to clinch a season series victory over them. 

Former Pirate, Corbin Duffield, started the important game for the Legends. The Pirates immediately made noise with Esteban Olazaba, Luke Medure, and Isaiah Walz hitting singles, with the latter two driving in one run each. 

The Legends wasted no time responding, loading the bases with only one out. Jack Licata tied the game, hitting a double down the rightfield line. Austin Owens hit into a Fielder’s Choice that brought in the leading run. The next batter, Austin Brown, extended the lead by hitting a single past the second baseman. 

The Pirates finally got out of the inning, but it cost four runs and was very taxing on the hot day. 

Luckily for the Pirates, catcher Ashton Romero came through in the second inning with an RBI single to draw the score to 4-3. 

Over the next three innings, both pitching staffs finally settled in, with neither team allowing another run until the sixth. 

In the sixth, both teams got their offense going again. Hunter Meyer of the Pirates hit a double to drive in Marc DiCarlo, but a second runner, Romero, was cut out at home trying to go from first to home. Nevertheless, the game was tied. 

Like in the first inning, the Legends immediately fought back. 

Diego Vazquez hit a leadoff triple to the center field wall, which was followed by a double from Ryder Young. A third extra base hit, a double from Owens, brought in another run to extend the lead to 6-4. 

Unfortunately for the Legends, their pitching could not keep the Pirates contained. A Jordan Viramontes single and a Sonny Rios double play tied the game in the seventh. 

In the eighth, Romero hit a Sacrifice Fly, Olazaba hit an RBI single, and Vaughn Coleman hit a two-RBI double into deep left field. 

The Pirates led 9-6 heading into the ninth, before handing the ball to Jacob Yun, who got the Save and secured the win. 

Olazaba finished the game 4-4 with two stolen bases.

The Pirates finally picked up their first win over the Legends and will have the opportunity to split the season series next week. 

The Legends will be in action again on Tuesday against the Bucs. 

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.