WILDOMAR -- Built around solid pitching and a consistent defense, Elsinore had those strengths on full display Monday. But it was timely hitting that finally put the Tigers on top in a 5-4 win over Paloma Valley in a Sunbelt League game at Elsinore High School.
Tied at 4-4 into the bottom of the seventh, Elsinore catcher Jordan Drake took an outside fastball from Wildcats pitcher David Herd and doubled, scoring Ricky Boas with the game-winner.
"My teammates expect me to come through with the big hit in that situation," Drake said. "I just don't want to let them down. I want to be a guy they can depend on when the game is on the line."
The Tigers (4-5 overall, 1-1 league) jumped to a 4-0 lead after three innings, thanks largely to a number of defensive mistakes committed by Paloma Valley (4-3, 1-1).
The Wildcats were guilty of a pair of errors in the bottom of the second, the first coming on a pick-off attempt at second base that should have helped to end the inning without further damage. A pair of Elsinore runners later scored when catcher Kody Sepulveda threw over the head of first baseman Aaron Raby on a potential double play.
"You cannot leave extra outs in the field against a pretty good team like Elsinore," Paloma Valley coach Chuck Kemp. "We didn't play very smart today and that's how you lose games like this one."
The Tigers added to their lead in the third inning after Blake Restad reached on a single and later came around on a sacrifice fly by Alan Schmutzer.
Elsinore pitcher Zach Varela had yielded just a pair of hits in the first three innings and was cruising along with a 4-0 lead. Then in the top of the fourth he began to leave his pitches up in the zone and trouble quickly followed. Zach Hubert singled and Raby and Gavin Lund each reached base, putting the tying runner on with Jake Magness at the plate. Magness delivered with a game-tying grand slam.
Though shaken by the sudden shift in momentum, Varela settled in and continued toward a complete game victory.
"He was fine," Elsinore coach Chris Jones said. "Clearly no one feels good after giving up a big homer like that but he gathered himself and got the job done."
Herd had found his pitches also as the game progressed, striking out the side in the bottom of the sixth. Herd would go the distance, giving up nine hits and taking the loss.
"(Herd) pitched a great game. He deserved a better outcome probably," Kemp said.
The Wildcats had the opportunity to take the lead with two runners on in the top of the seventh, but Steven Chagolla popped out to Tigers second baseman Ethan Hattersley to end the inning.
Boas reached on an infield single in the bottom of the seventh and was moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Restad, setting the stage for Drake's heroics.
"It was a good pitch on the outside of the plate, I just reached out and went with it," Drake said.
