HUSKIES WALK OFF VIKINGS
by Stephen Morales @grecomeco23
Photos by Mario Villegas @marviljr
Early in the season, the Huskies Baseball team has shown a tendency to grind out games. To be able to battle to the end. Head Coach Alec Adame knows his team is never out of a game until the 27th out is recorded.
The toughness was on display Tuesday as the Huskies took on the Long Beach City Vikings in the conference opener for both teams. The Huskies survived a back and forth affair by grinding out a walk off win on a bases loaded walk in the ninth inning from Evan Chavez.
The win coupled with the walk off win last Friday against Grossmont gives the Huskies back to back walk off wins and improved their record to 6-5 and 1-0 in conference.
Making his first start of the year, Ricardo Villegas was sharp in the early going. He set down the Vikings on 20 pitches in the first two innings.
The Huskies played some very old school baseball in the first inning. Evan Chavez led off with a single and stole second. He would move to 3rd on a Jesus Peraza ground out before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Matias Nolasco and the Huskies had the early 1-0 lead.
Eric Chavez lead off the third inning with a single and advanced on a throwing error. A single from Evan Chavez sent Eric Chavez to third and Evan went to second on a throw. An RBI groundout from Peraza and another sacrifice fly from Nolasco gave the Huskies a 3-0 lead.
Villegas continued to cruise until the 4th when the Vikings Ryan Lopetegui hit one just over the left field wall for a two-run homer. The Huskies got one run back in the 4th when Chris Guardado scored on a balk and gave the Huskies a 4-2 lead as Villegas and Vikings starter Myles Dismute entered a pitcher's duel.
The Vikings tied the score in the 6th and Coach Adame went to the bullpen for Justin Cardenas. Cardenas turned in one of the best performances by a Husky pitcher this year keeping the Vikings at bay for 3.2 innings. Dismute and Cesar Corrales also did a nice bullpen job for Long Beach setting up the ninth inning.
With 2 outs and Mahki Clark on second after a stolen base, Rainer Gahagan and Eric Chavez walked. The Vikings went to the bullpen with the bases loaded and after a first pitch strike, Evan Chavez worked the walk and Clark came home with the game winner and for the 2nd time in a row, the Huskies mobbed the field.
The three-game series with Long Beach City College resumes Thursday at Long Beach at 2pm before finishing Saturday at noon at ELAC.