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Irvine, including pitcher Adam Valencia, celebrate after a win in the second game Friday vs. Northwood. Northwood’s Adam Harper lined out to left field in the seventh. (Photos: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
Irvine High School sophomore outfielder Owen Featherston didn’t start the second game of Friday’s Pacific Coast League makeup baseball doubleheader against Northwood after playing in the opener.
But he was told by Coach Gabriel Cota to be ready to contribute in the second game. Featherston was and delivered the biggest hit of the game, a bases loaded single in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the Vaqueros ahead 3-2. They then went ahead 4-2.
Irvine survived a challenge by Northwood in the top of the seventh to win 4-3 and complete a sweep of Northwood (10-5, 9-4) at Irvine. It was the Vaqueros third win in a row this week over the second place Timberwolves, who were leading the PCL earlier this year.
Irvine won the opener 2-1.
“I was kind of nervous but I was waiting for a fastball and I got it inside and hit it to left field for a hit and came up big for our team,” Featherston said. “He (Cota) said be ready to go in at a big spot and I was. That’s three big wins for us.”
“It feels great, I think we’re starting to get to our potential a little bit,” added Cota. “We’re young, but it’s the seniors who are going to lead us. It’s nice those guys are coming through big for us. We played catch, and that was a big difference this week.”
To see the slide show, click on the first photo:
The game was tied 1-1 going into the top of the sixth inning. Northwood’s Bobby Bangs ripped a double down the line driving in Eugene Miyata to put Northwood ahead 2-1.
But in the bottom of the inning Ian Hew and Colin Kudell walked. Hew stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Evan Tamayo then reached on an infield single to drive in a run and tie the game. Pinch-hitter Ethan France walked to load the bases and Featherston followed with the single off Bangs, who came on in relief of starter Casey Euper earlier in the inning.
“He’s been a guy for us all year long,” said Cota, who decided to give Featherston the second game off. “Big spot, we put him up there, the kid is a sophmore and he gets it done for us. He’s super resilient, it was really cool to see.”
Tamayo scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-2 and Bangs struck out Zach Rodriguez to end the inning.
Northwood tried to battled back in the seventh. Miyata earned a bases loaded walk to drive in a run and cut the lead to 4-3. But Adam Valencia, who came on in relief of the starter Tamayo, got Adam Harper to line out to left field to end the game.
Northwood was held to five runs in the three games this week vs. Irvine.
“He hit it hard,” said Northwood Coach Doug Euper referring to Adam Harper’s lineout. “We waited too long to put any pressure on them. We’re not a good hitting team, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that, no slump, no nothing, we’re not good at the plate. Makes our pitchers have to go out there and try to be perfect and it’s hard to do.
“…. Come back after the break and see if we can play some better baseball and do a little bit better at the plate. Irvine had a great week and took it to us and got themselves right where they needed to be, so hats off to them. They did a great job.”
Northwood took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Bangs singled and scored on a single by Joseph Harper. But Irvine countered in the bottom of the inning. Nathan Sasaki walked, was sacrificed to second by Valencia and scored on a double by Hew.
Irvine also scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the opener Friday.
Joon Lee went the distance for Irvine (7-8-1, 6-7-1) to get the win.
“He’s been amazing for us all year,” Cota said. “He was right on point again today. It was nice to see his work pay off.”
Paul Grossman also pitched well for Northwood.
“He pretty much shut us down for most of the game,” Cota said. “We stole a run late and Joon was good enough to seal the win.”
Valencia had a RBI double in the sixth for the eventual winning run to drive in Sasaki.
Both teams compete in the Ryan Lemmon Invitational beginning Saturday.
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—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
