A game that started like gangbusters Friday turned on an unfortunate dime, with Sierra outlasting visiting Manteca 11-7 to take the Valley Oak League series 2-1 at Jack Thomson Stadium.
The two teams went through six pitchers and scored 13 runs in the first two innings. In the bottom of the second with two outs, the Timberwolves’ Tyler Looney was legging out a bunt when the throw to Buffaloes first baseman drew Preston Smith up the line. The two collided, and when the dust settled Smith lay on the ground in agony and another Sierra run had scored.
Play resumed following a 30-plus minute delay after Smith was taken to the hospital via ambulance. Just three more runs were scored the rest of the game.
“That’s tough whenever somebody gets hurt like that.” Manteca coach Mark Ruiz said. “I just hope he’s going to be OK.
“With the three-games-a-week schedule, you can get pitching like that. We’re all pretty thin for the most part. We figured it may be that way, which is why we were trying to score as much as possible.”
The Timberwolves’ Andruw Navarro (RBI) took the mound in the bottom of the third with one out and a runner on second, the third pitcher for Sierra (6-3VOL, 9-9 overall) and sixth of seven overall. Navarro got the next two outs of the frame, gave up just two more hits and one run the rest of the way, and was the beneficiary of two 6-3 double plays.
“This was a crucial game because we split the first two,” Navarro said. “So it was good to attack the hitters with fastballs and then change my speed a little bit and just go after them.
“I knew I could trust my defense.”
The one big hit out of the 22 total hits was in the bottom of the second when Jorge Guevara (2 for 4, four RBI, home run, two runs) blasted a three-run shot for the Timberwolves to give Sierra the lead for good at 8-6.
“That home run felt good,” Guevara said. “When I went up to bat; I just cleared my head and I was looking for a fast ball down the middle.
“I was so focused. For some reason the ball seemed like it was moving in slow motion and then I saw my perfect pitch.”
Sierra center fielder Jack Cunial (2 for 2, run) chased down two fly balls late in the game and on the base paths he broke up a double play, forcing a throwing error which allowed Troy Morrow (2 for 3, three runs) to score the final run of the game.
“Fly balls can be fun,” Cunial said. “Outfield is one of those positions where you either get a lot of action or not.
“And on that double play, I wasn’t going to make it easy, but I didn’t want to make it a double play by interfering. The rules have changed. Back in the 80s, you could light someone up but now you can’t.”
Angel Valdez (RBI, run) and Mitch Van Zwaluwenburg (two runs) were each 2 for 3 for the Timberwolves. Looney was 2 for 4 with a triple
“I don’t know if I have ever saw a game start crazier than this one today,” Sierra coach Travis Thomson said. “With all those runs in the first two innings and then just a fraction of that. Maybe this is what Friday high-school baseball is going to look like with three games a week.
“Both these teams came out wanting to win today, and you saw that with all the aggressive swings and the effort on the field. How we hit today is how we have been hitting the past few weeks that’s why Wednesday was shocking. I was really happy with our effort at the plate.”
Rex Watson was 3 for 4 with an RBI, triple and two runs for the Buffaloes (5-4, 13-7). Cameron Jiminez was 2 for 4 with two runs and Smith knocked in three runs.
Both teams have two series left in the VOL campaign. The Timberwolves host East Union on Monday at 4 p.m. for the first of three games before closing out the season the following week against Oakdale. Manteca starts a series with Oakdale on Monday at 4 p.m. at home and closes out the season the following week against Central Catholic.
