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Brea Olinda players (from left) Sam Dunbar, Dustin Robinson, Nicco Rodriguez and Jayden Pack contributed to the win Tuesday. Rodriguez was the winning pitcher and Pack had a walk-off single. (Photo: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
Brea Olinda High School’s baseball team, which was down to its final out, battled back with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday night to defeat Mission Viejo 4-3 in the final game of the day of the Ryan Lemmon Invitational at the Great Park Stadium.
Mission Viejo held a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning and needed three outs to advance to the tournament championship game.
But the Wildcats battled back and won the game on a two-out walk-off single to left field by center fielder Jayden Pack, driving in Sam Dunbar with the game winner. Dunbar tied the game on a triple down the left field line driving in Dustin Robinson, who doubled with two outs to keep the Wildcats alive.
“Honestly, I was looking for a fastball outside and he gave me that same fastball and I hammered it and we won that game,” Pack said. “I was expecting it the whole time because he gave me a curveball before that.”
“Those guys have been carrying us the whole year, those are the heart of our order and they’ve been doing a really good job,” said Brea Olinda Coach Rich Pohle of Robinson, Dunbar and Pack.
It was a well played game by both teams and both starting pitchers had solid outings. Brea Olinda starter Nicco Rodriguez allowed three runs, two earned and scattered six hits, striking out five. Mission Viejo starter Keenan Anzai was effective as well, pitching the whole game. He allowed four runs and seven hits and struck out seven.
“It was his first start all year and he did an amazing job,” said Pohle of Rodriguez”s effort. “We were going to take him out after five but he was at 60 pitches and we just left him in and he cruised the whole way.” It was a big win, all of our games have been pretty tight but I think they were going “
Mission Viejo Coach Daniel Holley said his team looks forward to Wednesday’s 3:30 p.m. game with Ayala in the stadium to close the tournament.
“It’s a tough one, but we learn from it and move on, we have another one tomorrow,” he said. “That’s the greatest thing about baseball. Keenan (pitcher Anzai) was fantastic, when I went out there at the end to talk to him, I told him, ‘this is your game, you finish it, we have confidence in you’ and we still do, nothing changes that.”
Brea Olinda (9-6 overall) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Robinson walked, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Pack.
But the Diablos (11-7) tied the game in the second inning. Jack Wade reached on an error. Brandon Cole and Hunter Pogue were aboard on infield singles and Max Osika drove in Wade on a sacrifice fly.
Mission Viejo then moved ahead with two runs in the fourth inning. Pogue reached on a single to drive in a run and also scored on an error to put the Diablos ahead 3-1.
Brea Olinda inched closer in the fifth inning. Connor Perez singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Robinson.
Brea Olinda wraps up the tournament Wednesday, facing Newport Harbor at 3 p.m. on field 9.
Gahr meets Corona Centennial in the championship game at 6:30 p.m. in the stadium.
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—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
