Bulldogs capitalize on Titan miscues in league win

by BOB OTTO / For The Valley Chronicle




	HE'S SAFE!: Hemet's Isaiah Flores slides safely into third as Tahquitz's Jarrett Veiga awaits the throw. photo by BOB OTTO/ For The Valley Chronicle.

April 15, 2013

Stopping Hemet's potent offense is a tough enough challenge, but aiding the Bulldogs batsmen with walks and wild pitches only adds fuel to the fire.

And that was the difference in a key Mountain Pass League baseball matchup between first place Hemet and the second place Tahquitz Titans on Wednesday.

Seven walks and three wild pitches along with a couple of errors helped the Bulldogs to a 11-4 victory that gives surging Hemet a 6-0 league mark, 14-3 overall, while the Titans fall to 4-2, 9-8.

"We're very young and only start one senior," said Tahquitz coach Ron Savage. "It seems like with our youth we are in a situation where one raindrop hits, then the second one, and then the third, and all of a sudden the flood hits. "

The game stayed close with Tahquitz holding an early 2-1 lead until Hemet erupted with a five-run fourth inning. Three consecutive singles by Garrett Denbaugh, Isaiah Flores and Anthony Necochea loaded the bases. Cody White lifted a fly ball deep enough to score Denbaugh, and then the floodgates opened. Two walks, an error and a hit batter helped Hemet plate four more runs before the Titans could escape further damage.




	BASE STEALING ARTIST: Hemet's Chad Dotinga slides safely into second base while Tahquitz's Anthony Garcia takes the throw. photo by BOB OTTO/ For The Valley Chronicle.

"We capitalize and that's something we've been doing," said Hemet coach Mike Arnold. "Our guys are doing a great job of being unselfish and getting on any way they can."

Hemet, the No. 2 ranked team in CIF-SS Division 5, has been bashing Mountain Pass League opponents by scoring 87 runs in averaging 14.5 runs per game.

Gaudy numbers indeed, but for Hemet junior leftfielder Isaiah Flores it starts by taking what's offered at the plate.




	PROTECTING THE PLATE: Hemet catcher Austin Hovivian blocks the plate preventing Tahquitz's Manuel Leyva from scoring. photo by BOB OTTO/ For The Valley Chronicle.

"When they give you something you have to capitalize on it," said Flores, who was 3 for 3 with a single, double, and triple, and who made a great catch in shallow left field to end the game. "When they give you walks and errors you have to capitalize and we did."

Hemet picked up nine hits led by Flores and Necochea 2-4, and Chad Dotinga, Denbaugh, Nathan Bagby, and James Trinidad with one hit each.

Tahquitz collected 10 hits with Ben Moreno going 3 for 3, Hayden Firth 2-4, Kaycee Garcia 2-4, and Anthony Garcia, Ryan Davis, and Dametri Evans each getting a hit.

The Titans pulled within 6-4 in the fourth on an RBI single by Evans and a run-scoring fly ball by Firth, but that was it as Hemet pitching allowed only three hits the rest of the way.




	SAFE AT HOME: Hemet's Anthony Necochea scores safely at home during the Bulldogs 11-4 Mountain Pass League victory over Tahquitz, while Titans' catcher Dametri Evans takes the throw. photo by BOB OTTO/ For The Valley Chronicle.

Though the Titans have lost twice to the Bulldogs in league play, Savage remains high on his club.

"I believe in this club," he said. "It's a great team. We've got to refocus and find some kind of momentum, some kind of direction."

Tim Olvaney started and picked up the win for the Bulldogs with four innings of work, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, while striking out three. Chris Wolford came on in relief in the fifth and finished with a three-hitter, no runs allowed along with two strikeouts and a walk.

"Our defense and our pitching kept us in the game until our offense picked it up in the middle and late innings when we started getting some key hits and driving guys in," Arnold said. "We talk about getting the next guy up. Our guys take pride in getting that done."




	BOBBLE CATCH: Tahquitz left fielder Kaycee Garcia had the ball bobble around in his glove, but he came up with the catch during the Titans game with the visiting Hemet Bulldogs on Wednesday. The Bulldogs beat the Titans 11-4 to improve to 6-0 in the Mountain Pass League.photo by BOB OTTO/ For The Valley Chronicle.

Hemet put the game out of reach with three runs in the seventh highlighted by Flores' leadoff triple to deep centerfield, followed by Necochea's run-scoring double. Then after two outs, James Trinidad's single brought home Dotinga with Hemet's final run.

Can Hemet's prolific run production continue? Arnold said it's a matter of taking one inning and one bat at a time.

"We want to win every inning," he said. "It happens to be falling that way for us right now. We don't give away at bats. We are pushing it and hope to keep pushing it."

http://www.thevalleychronicle.com/Articles-Sports-c-2013-04-15-83424.113122-Bulldogs-capitalize-on-Titan-miscues-in-league-win.html Source: www.thevalleychronicle.com

Published April 16, 2013 Print