COMMUNITY SPORTS: Big innng propels Vista National to title
By MATT NULL - Staff Writer | ∞
FALLBROOK ---- With his team trailing by four runs in the fourth inning, Vista National Little League Cardinals manager Scott Houk admitted he was nervous.
Houk's anxiety dissipated as the Cardinals used an eight-run fourth inning Sunday to overcome the deficit and clinch the District 70 Paul Wahl Memorial Tournament of Champions with a 12-7 victory over the Rancho Buena Vista Indians at Zeke Weaver Field.
In the fourth inning, the Cardinals sent 11 batters to the plate. They had eight hits in the inning, including two by third baseman Justin Glassel.
"I have always had confidence in that if we ever get behind, that we have such good bats that we could make something happen and they did that," Houk said.
The Indians also had a big inning, starting the game with five runs before an out was recorded. With the bases loaded, Houk took out his starting pitcher and inserted Jon Cebrebrus. After taking a ball to the face and throwing it away allowing two runs to score, Cebrebrus recorded three outs to get out of the inning. He would pitch the rest of the game, striking out three and allowing only two more runs to cross the plate.
"I was thinking just pitch and throw strikes," Cebrebrus said.
Cebrebrus' catcher, Josh Cuppett, admitted he was just as worried as his coach.
"Our team was kind of goofing off and then we realized we should win this and it could be all over," said Cuppett, who went 4-for-4 with three doubles. "So as soon as we got focused and got our heads on right, we started to come back and that is what really mattered."
Cuppett said the win means a lot.
"This means everything to me, because I've never gotten this far in anything," he said. "I just think our team is a group of awesome kids and we worked hard for it and we earned it."
Justin Ennis went 3-for-4 for the Cardinals, and Carston Nyenhuis went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Evan Lepire and Chaylen Nyenhuis also had hits for Vista National.
The teams also met in the first round with the Indians losing 10-0. They had to rise from the losers' bracket and Sunday's game was their fifth since Monday.
"Just to get here, everybody pitched in and it was a total team effort," said Indians manager Larry Solomon. "Sometimes it's just not enough."
Joseph Bradley led the Indians, going 3-for-4, while Christian Rosenkranz, Josh Quezada, Kyle Davis and Austin Quinn also had hits for Rancho Buena Vista.
Contact staff writer Matt Null at mnull@nctimes.com.
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