ADRIAN POMERY

Staff Writer

TEMECULA -- It is not a sure thing yet, but it would take a major collapse for the Temecula Valley baseball team not to win the inaugural Southwestern League baseball title.

On Thursday, the Golden Bears defeated Elsinore 9-3 and are now two games in front of the second-place Tigers in the loss column.

"This was a big win," Temecula coach Rich Emard said. "These are two good ballclubs, but it was good to be back at home, and it was good to have Ronnie (Hill) pitching."

Hill, the team's ace, was solid for Temecula (15-6 overall, 6-2 in league). In seven innings of work, Hill (7-2) surrendered just three hits while striking out six and walking none. He allowed three runs, only two of which were earned.

Only Jordan Struble was a thorn in Hill's side. Struble was 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and two RBIs. Hector Carrillo had the other hit for Elsinore (12-6, 6-4).

"Ronnie is the man," center fielder Derrick Pyles said. "He's just a clutch player."

With help from two Temecula errors, Elsinore took a brief 2-0 lead in the top of the first. The Golden Bears, however, sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom half of the inning and plated seven runs.

Pyles began the inning with a single. Elsinore starter Scott Brouse then hit Joe Spiers with a pitch and catcher Paul Smyth reached on an error to load the bases. Hill then reached on an error, allowing Pyles to score.

Brouse, who struck out six, then struck out second baseman Ryan Hutchison and right fielder Ryan Forrest. However, with two outs and the bases still loaded Steve Tripp produced an RBI single and Jorge Araiza followed with a two-run single.

Brouse (4-3) then walked Jake Calvin to load the bases again, bringing Pyles to the plate. Pyles quickly jumped on a fastball and drove it into the gap for a bases-clearing triple and a 7-2 Temecula lead.

"It felt great," Pyles said. "I was thankful to come up with the bases loaded. At that point, it went downhill for them.

"After Tuesday's loss, I knew we would come back and win today."

Of the nine runs charged to Brouse, only two were earned.

"We didn't hit and they got help," Elsinore coach Dusty Brinley said. "Scott did a great job pitching, but we didn't hit."

Temecula added a run in the second as Smyth led off with a triple and scored on Hutchison's sacrifice fly. Forrest scored the Golden Bears' final run in the fifth. He led off the inning with a triple, and scored on a groundout by Araiza.

Adrian Pomery can be reached at (909) 676-4315, ext. 2630 or apomery@nctimes.com.

4/27/01