Downey Baseball falls to San Marino, 4-1, in nonleague game
Downey catcher Jerry Calvert (3) tags out a San Marino player in their non-league baseball game at Downey High School on Monday. San Marino defeated Downey 4-1. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
DOWNEY – A modest three game winning streak came to an end in a nonleague game Monday (March 1) for the Downey High School Vikings baseball team.
The Vikings, who had scored 18 runs in the three wins, were held to one against the visiting San Marino Titans, as they lost 4-1.
“He pitched well the whole game,” said Downey coach Jess Gonzalez, of the Downey starter Xavier Renteria. “Our other guy (Freshman reliever Nick Segura) also pitched well. Defensively we gave up those balks, and they got a run and we gave up a run at the end.
“We didn’t come up with good at bats (Monday). “That guy (San Marino pitcher Colin Wildeman) pitched a great game. He shut us down. They’re (San Marino) a good team.”
Gonzalez talked of his upcoming schedule saying, “Our whole schedule is tough,” he said. “Every game is tough, including our league is a bear too.
Wildeman held the Vikings to two hits and struck out three for a complete game. He retired the last seven Vikings batters to pick up his third win against no losses.
The Titans (5-1) banged out nine hits, all singles.
Leading the way with three hits was senior second baseman Charlie Danenhauer. With two hits each were junior catcher Parker Wilson (2 Runs) and senior right fielder Aldo Cali (R).
Downey’s (4-2) only two hits came in the third inning when they scored their only run.
Renteria started out the game with a bang, striking out the side against San Marino in the first inning and only an infield hit in the second.
Meanwhile, five of the first six Vikings were retired in the first two innings.
The Titans took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third. Renteria struck out the first two batters for his fourth and fifth Ks in the game, but two of the next four batters scored.
Leadoff batter Wilson reached base on an infield single, followed by a single to right by junior center fielder Chase Mena.
An infield error brought in the first run, scoring Wilson, followed by an RBI single to left by Danenhauer, scoring Mena to lead 2-0.
Downey cut the lead in half in the bottom half of the inning as senior catcher Jerry Calvert opened the inning with a walk and stole second. Senior centerfielder Sebastian Cortez walked but was erased from the base path as the next batter, senior third baseman Morise Robinson, reached on a fielders choice, as Cortez was out at second.
After senior centerfielder Eddie Causley flied out to center for the first out, a delayed double steal followed as Robinson took second and Calvert came racing home for the only run of the inning and game for the Vikings.
“That play worked perfectly,” Causley said. “We’ve been working on that. The hitter (Mercedes) had two strikes, and we needed to get that run home.”
The inning came to an end after Robinson attempted to score from second after senior shortstop Roel Mercedes reached on a fielders choice with a late throw by the San Marino shortstop. Titans first baseman Miles Morning cut Robinson down at home for the third out ending the inning.
Causley, who has been on varsity for three years, said of the loss, “We were probably taking too many strikes in the game. He (Wildeman) was throwing a lot of strikes.
“Our pitcher (Renteria) pitched well throughout the whole game. We definitely should have won this game. We just try to forget about something like this. We didn’t hit and made small mistakes.”
The Titans added a third run in the top of the fourth, after Cali opened the inning with a single up the middle and was balked to second and third and came home on a single to center that fell in between a couple of players.
In the bottom half of the inning, Downey threatened but left a runner on third. They were shut down the rest of the way, as their pitcher retired nine of the last ten Downey batters.
Sophomore left fielder Chris Palacios opened the inning with their first hit of the game, singling to right center. The next batter, junior first baseman, Nathan Carrasco, hit a grounder to second who threw to second base to get Palacios and the ball was thrown in the dirt at first for an error. Carrasco tried for second but was tagged out for the double play.
Segura then doubled to left, advanced to third on a wild pitch but was left stranded at third.
Segura relieved Renteria to open the sixth and struck out four batters in his two innings of work.
The Titans added one more run in the seventh for their fourth run.
On the upcoming league play, Causley added, “I’m excited,” he said. “We have a lot of good competition and if we play our “A” game I know we can hang with them.”
