2008 Woodie Awards
Baseball: Hell Is for Monarchs
Thrilling battle in blazing heat ends in another loss for struggling team.
Sam Hahn
Issue date: 4/28/04 Section: Sports
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 Media Credit: Sevan Ghazaryan A SECOND LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT - Valley third baseman Rick Hooper gets picked off in 12-11 loss. |
Despite the heat, neither team would let up as they accounted for 23 runs on 26 hits. The lead changed hands several times and the game wasn't decided until the final frame.
The score would have been even higher, but both the Monarchs and Owls (6-12 conference, and 10-19 overall) struggled to advance runners in key situations, combining to strand 27 runners.
"We are not stepping up in key situations," said first baseman Ryan Goodman (3-5, 2 RBIs). "We had a few key opportunities that we didn't capitalize on during the game."
Monarch starting pitcher Mike Pisano was shelled for five runs in just one inning and pulled after he allowed seven of the first nine batters he faced to reach base.
The Monarchs responded in the bottom of the inning with four runs of their own to force Citrus starter Chad Schmidt out of the game. Center fielder Anthony Mose singled and scored on an error after stealing second and third base. Valley polished off Schmidt with RBI groundouts by left fielder Matt Martin and DH Eulices Sierra.
The Owls cashed in two in the top of the fourth inning off reliever Phil Rivers on two hits by first baseman Scott Marcus and DH Mike Dickerson to give themselves a three-run cushion.
Citrus added to the lead with two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. Third baseman Raymond Rios capped off the sixth inning with a two-run single off Valley reliever Andy Bunning, making it 9-4.
The Monarchs roared back with six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and took the lead, 10-9, as third baseman Rick Hooper, Goodman, Martin, and shortstop Missael Hernandez each picked up RBI hits off Citrus reliever Marcus Hinojosa.
The Owls retook the lead in the sixth with a two-run rally finished off by Rios' single off Bunning to score right fielder Chris Kielty.
Valley squandered golden opportunities in the sixth and seventh innings, failing to score after loading the bases in both frames. Goodman hit into bad luck, lining out to the second baseman to end the sixth, and Sierra grounded out to finish the seventh, keeping the score 11-10, Citrus.
"The only problem we're going through right now is that we don't seem to be executing," solemnly stated Sierra. "We just seem to run out of gas."
The Monarchs refused to quit, with Goodman getting some payback on a clutch RBI single to tie it up, 11-11, in the eighth.
However, Citrus pushed the go-ahead run across in the ninth with Dickerson's double to score first baseman Marcus.
Despite the loss, the team seemed optimistic and looked forward to playing out the season.
"We'll finish strong this season," said Mose. "We are finally on the same page, and all we have to do is get over this hump and we'll be fine."
