Comebacks are becoming a habit with this team. For the second game in a row, the Park University Gilbert baseball team (3-3, 1-0 Cal Pac) came from behind to get a victory, and this victory gave the Bucs their first Cal Pac Conference win in their first Cal Pac game. After scoring 15 unanswered runs to upend No. 19 Benedictine Mesa on Tuesday, this time Providence Christian (0-3, 0-1 Cal Pac) was the victim, but the Bucs didn't need as many runs to secure the win, a 7-4 triumph at Indian School Park in Scottsdale, Ariz.
"That's kind of been our theme lately," said Buccaneers head coach Kelly Stinnett. "We start out slow and come on strong at the end. Our pitching did heck of a lot better job today."
The Buccaneers accomplished something in this game, they had not in their previous five games. They did not surrender a first inning run. Buccaneers starter Frank Racioppo skated through the first only allowing one baserunner. Racioppo went five innings allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He threw 81 pitches on the day. The Bucs bullpen then shut the door on the Sea Beggars hitters. The combination of Zachary Swanson (1-0) and closer Diego Bustillos only allowed two more hits over the last four innings and no runs which enable the Buccaneers to mount their comeback. Swanson earned the win in relief and Bustillos his second save in as many games.
"Frank did a great job today, then Zach and Diego closed it out. You can't ask more from those guys." said Stinnett.
The Buccaneer bats were held in check by PCC starter Nicholas Oijnaga who scattered four hits over five innings. He did not allow a run, walked four and struck out six. But the Buccaneers did a good job of making Oijnaga work as he threw 90 pitches in his five innings. Once Park Gilbert got into the Sea Beggars bullpen, the floodgates seemed to open. The Bucs greeted PCC reliever Brennan Morales with three hits and four runs in just 1/3 of an inning and just like that, the contest was knotted at four. Anthony Castro (1-0) who ended up taking the loss, came on to quell the tide but the Bucs got to him for a run in the eighth which ended up being the difference. The Bucs tacked on two more insurance runs off Trenton Friesen to give them their final margin of victory.
At the plate, second baseman Joel Adamson made his Park Gilbert varsity debut and he made it count, going 2-4 at the plate with a run and an RBI. If not for a diving catch in the left center gap by Sea Beggars center fielder Carl Bunday, Adamson would have had three knocks.
"I've known Joel since he was little," said Stinnett. "He's a gamer, and I said let's give him a shot and see what happens. He had a great game against Benedictine in a developmental game last week. That's where guys prove themselves and show they can contribute at the varsity level."
Julian Garcia-Schroeder and Diego Bejarano also chipped in with two hits and driving in two runs and one run respectively. Every Bucs starter reached base safely in the game.
These same two teams will meet tomorrow to complete the three-game series with a Saturday afternoon double header starting at 11 a.m. at Indian School Park.
