Tustin players, including winning pitcher Adam Whyte (with baseball), celebrate after the win Tuesday. (PHOTOS: Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone).
Senior left-hander Adam Whyte pitched a four-hit complete game shutout to lead Tustin’s baseball team to a 7-0 Golden West League victory over Buena Park Tuesday afternoon at Buena Park.
Whyte, who entered the game with a 1.85 ERA, struck out 15 batters. He has amassed 89 strikeouts this season. Earlier this season, Whyte struck out 16 batters in on two occasions.
“The key was that my off-speed stuff was working the way I wanted it to,” said Whyte, who has committed to play at Biola University next season. “My defense made plays and we still have a chance to win league.”
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Whyte dominated throughout the game. He struck out the side in the first, fourth and sixth innings. Whyte did not allow a Buena Park base-runner past second base in the game.
Tustin remains a half-game behind league-leading Calvary Chapel.
The two teams teams, who split two games earlier this season, meet on the final day of the regular season, next Tuesday at Tustin with the league title possibly on the line. The Tillers play Buena Park at home on Friday and need to win to keep pace with the Eagles.
Whyte also had a big game at the plate with three hits, including an RBI double in the sixth inning and scored two runs.
Tillers first year Coach Curtis Cassise said Whyte has stood out for his team (16-9, 8-2) all season.
“Adam has such an incredible work ethic; one of the bests I’ve ever seen,” said Cassise. “He has has been our leader.”
Whyte’s battery mate, Nyte Teeter said his pitcher was on target.
“In the bullpen before the game his fastball didn’t seem to be there, but once he got on the field it was a different story,” said Teeter, who had two hits, scored two runs and was on base three times. “His fastball and his off-speed stuff kept them off balance and he hit his locations. He was effective. We had high energy today and we got runs early.”
After scoring single runs in the first and third innings, Tustin exploded for four runs in the fourth inning with two outs to break the game open.
Angel Rodriguez and Whyte singled. Teeter walked to load the bases. Kobe Ardelean then followed by roping a three-run triple to right center. Josh Saltzer followed with an RBI single as Tiller duped its lead to 6-0.
“When I came to bat with the bases loaded, I wanted to get all the runs home,” said Ardelean, who entered the game leading the Tillers with a .370 batting average. “I hit a fastball right where I wanted to hit it, in the right center field gap.”
Grant Menges had an outstanding game for Tustin with three hits, including an RBI single in the third inning to give Tustin a 2-0 lead.
“This is all new to me; I’m a freshman, “ said Menges, who turned a 6-3 double play in the seventh inning to close out the win for the Tillers. “Our team has a lot of energy and when we have this kind of energy, we score a lot of runs.”
“I think we’re playing our best baseball of the season,” added Cassise. “That’s been our goal since the fall. Our hitting, our defense and our pitching has come together and I like where we’re at.”
Despite the loss, Buena Park shortstop Alex Blancas became the program’s all-time hit leader. Blancas went 3-for-3 with a double and two singles. His lead off seventh-inning single broke the record. It was his 109th career hit.
“I felt a little bit of pressure as I got closer to the record, but all my coaches and teammates were very supportive and kept telling me to relax,” said Blancas, who is committed to play at Fullerton College, along with teammate, pitcher and outfielder George De Avila, next season. “I’ve been playing baseball for 11 years and it’s a nice feeling knowing that I’m leaving a legacy at Buena Park. The school has been around for a long time and it’s special.”
Coyotes Coach Cody Gutierrez said his team (7-18, 3-7) continues to battle,
“We have to have to learn to win one pitch at a time; every pitch is like a different game,” said Gutierrez. “It seems like every game we have one bad inning hurts us. That one bad inning doesn’t define us, but we have to keep battling through it. “
Notes:
—-Buena Park right-handed pitcher Damian Roman is committed to pay at Graceland University (Lamoni, Iowa) next season.
—-Tustin catcher Nyte Teeter is committed to play at Upper Iowa University next season. Teeter also pitches and currently has an ERA of 0.54 this season.
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