Anchorpoint Christian's Ryan Tapia didn't have his best stuff in Thursday's first-place battle with Anzar, especially in the first three innings when the Hawks put runners in scoring position in each frame.
"It was a real gutsy performance for him," said Anchorpoint manager Ken Bradley. "He didn't have his best mechanics, but he still fought and made the pitches when he needed to."
Despite the opportunities, Anzar stranded 10 runners on base, nine of whom were in scoring position, while Tapia quickly settled down after the third when the Warriors plated four runs en route to a 12-4 victory - a win that supplies Anchorpoint with sole control of first place in the Coastal Athletic League.
The Hawks complete its season at 5-3 in the CAL, 8-9 overall, and will need all the help it can get from Calvary Christian, which still has two games remaining against Anchorpoint (4-2 CAL) next week.
"Yeah, it was disappointing because of the amount of runners we left on base," Anzar manager Andrew Barragan said. "Our team here, when we see a pitcher struggle, that's when we have to capitalize. We didn't capitalize on him early ... but the kids tried.
"But not to take anything away from Tapia. He settled down and got into a groove, kept us off balance."
Although he did get into trouble early on with walks, which were then compounded with two Anchorpoint fielding errors, Tapia (5.1IP, 1H, 4R, 1ER, 10BB, 6K) only allowed one earned run, and was pitching a no-hitter into the fifth inning when Anzar's Blake Selsor broke up the bid.
"I was very confident out there, that he'd fall into a groove," Bradley said. "We could have had him go seven (innings), but there was no need to push it."
It was the Hawks which jumped out to an early lead in the third, however, when a pitch in the dirt advanced Nick Salgado to third base, while the ensuing throw back to the pitcher was overthrown, allowing Salgado to help his own cause and score the game's first run.
Salgado (2.1IP, 3H, 3R, 1K, 1HBP) started on the hill for Anzar and looked strong in the early innings with solid defense behind him, including center fielder Devon Parish, who made a diving catch in the second that perhaps saved a run.
Paolo Marra-Biggs (1.1IP, 4H, 3R, 1K) and Parish (2.1IP, 6H, 6R, 4K, 2BB, 1HBP) finished the game in relief.
But up 1-0, Anzar's lead was short lived, as the Warriors posted a four spot in the home half of the third that saw three straight RBI singles from Christian McCrimon, Josh Brendle and Travis Thompson. Thompson would later score on a pitch in the dirt.
Anchorpoint made its lead comfortable when it tacked on two more in the fourth behind an RBI single from McCrimon and an RBI double from Brendle, while Anzar made it a 6-2 game in the fifth when Zak Fink's grounder to the left side plated Selsor.
But each time the Hawks scored, the Warriors would respond. In the home half of the fifth, Anchorpoint added four more runs, highlighted by a two-run single up the middle by McCrimon.
Anzar kept the game interesting in the sixth when Devon Parish and Davin Clark-Fabela each scored after a pick-off attempt at third led to an overthrow, but once again Anchorpoint answered with two more runs in the bottom half behind a two-RBI single into left field by Josh Marozick.
"Overall, it was a good season we had, but it looked like we almost regressed (today)," Barragan said. "Just the little mental mistakes, and that's what we need to fine tune. This was a real learning experience."
The game, which carried a winner-take-all scenario in many ways for Anzar, was only made possible after the Hawks were able to post a 4-1 win against Anchorpoint on Tuesday.
"Just for us to get in the kids' ear - we were only one game away," Barragan said. "That's a far cry from winning two games last year and being a game away from a league title (this year)."
Anzar has just one senior in Paolo Marra-Biggs, and will otherwise return the bulk of its roster next season. Anchorpoint, meanwhile, will need to remain focused in its last two games with Calvary Christian, despite having taken two games earlier this season from them.
"All of the teams in our league are very competitive," Bradley said. "Each time we play Calvary, we know they're capable."
ANZ - 001 012 0 - 4 2 2
ANC - 004 242 X - 12 13 4
WP: R. Tapia
LP: N. Salgado
Andrew Matheson Andrew Matheson is a sports writer for South Valley Newspapers. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 334 or at amatheson@svnewspapers.com.
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