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Fullerton seniors get together after Tuesday’s second round loss. (Photos: Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone).
No. 4 seeded Gahr High baseball team blasted four home runs en route to a 10-5 victory over Fullerton in a CIF Division 2 second round playoff game Tuesday at Fullerton.
The Gladiators (23-6-1) advance to the quarterfinals and will play Calabasas, who defeated Vista Murrieta 8-3 on Tuesday, on Friday.
The Indians finish the season at 19-7.
On the first pitch of the game, Gahr left fielder Michael Lee drilled a towering home run over the right field fence to give the Gladiators a 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, freshman Andres Gonzalez smashed a two-run homer, and Lee followed moments later with his second home run of the game, a two-run shot that upped Gahr’s lead to 5-0. Gonzales added a two-run single in the third as the Gladiators raced out to a 7-0 lead.
“I struck out three times last game, so it feels good to have a good game in a big game like this,” said Lee, who had three hits.
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However, the Indians battled back and scored four times in the fourth inning, highlighted by Conor Sunderland’s seventh home run of the season and a two-run double by Miguel Velasquez, trimming the lead to 7-4.
Gahr added a single run in the fifth inning, but the Indians had a call go against them in the bottom of the fifth.
Trailing 8-4, Fullerton loaded the bases after Zach Fany, Sunderland and Nate Norman each singled. Niko Mendez’s slashed an RBI single to left, cutting the lead to 8-5.
The Gladiators went to the bullpen for the second time in the game and brought in Jaden Alba with no outs and the bases loaded. Alba got Malachi Meni to hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Jose Perez, who fired home to catcher Angel Cortez, for the force out.
Cortez then threw down to first base, but his throw hit Meni in the back and caromed down the right field line, allowing Norman to score.
However, the first base umpire called Meni out (for the second out of the inning) for running inside the bag and Norman was sent back to third base. Alba then struck out George Papadatos to end the inning.
“I didn’t agree with the call, Malachi was already across the bag when the ball hit him in the back,” said Fullerton Coach Shaun Hill. “That call definitely turned the tide of the game, but overall it was an amazing season. We played a lot of very good teams and we had a great group of seniors. They helped build up our program and changed the culture. I’m excited for the future.”
Perez added a two-run homer in the sixth inning and Alba shut down Fullerton to secure the Gahr victory.
“I was calm and I wanted to keep it close and not give up a big pitch,” said Alba, who pitched the final three innings and did not give up a hit, while striking out three batters. “Our team continues to play good baseball with confidence.”
Gladiators Coach Gerardo Perez agreed.
“We have a good offensive team and we have some firepower and we practiced hard to get ready to play on this field,” said Perez, who has been the Gahr coach since 2005. “We played a tough schedule and we’re playing very well right now.”
Mendez, Fullerton’s left fielder, said the team’s season was successful.
“I’m already looking forward to next season,” said Mendez. “It’s not easy when you transfer into a program (from Sunny Hills) but we did the job this season against front line teams. Today, some of the calls didn’t go our way, but that’s just baseball.”
—Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone
