Page 9 - Dinuba Sentinel 6-21-18 E-edition

Sports
B1
“These kids have a lot of heart. They have a lot of fire and a lot of heart. And I know that this championship game they’re going to prove it.”
- Christian Guerrero, Braves head coach
The Dinuba Sentinel
Thursday, June 21, 2018 City Youth Baseball
Dodgers face Braves for city league title
Dodgers dominate Rangers in semi nals, earn third straight trip to title game
The Dodgers’ pitcher then went to work in the bottom of the first inning, retiring the top four batters in the Rangers’ lineup on three strikeouts.
Both teams stranded runners on third base in what was a short second inning, but the Dodgers offense went back to work in the third. With the top of their lineup leading off the inning, the Dodgers added two more runs. Both runs were the result of home plate passed ball opportunities off third base, a replay of the first two runs of the game as both
Quevedo and Herrera scored the same way.
Isaiah Quevedo drove in the Dodgers’ sixth run of the game in the fourth inning, knocking in teammate David Oleo, who just moments prior had taken a ball to the right eye. Oleo, after receiving medical attention and an ice pack, was cheered by both crowds when he returned to the game. He was again cheered as he
crossed home plate, his right cheek freshly swollen. After Quevedo scored for a third time on a passed ball the Dodgers were able to put two runners on. That set up Nunez’s crowning moment of the game, smashing a ball deep
into the outfield for an inside-the-park three-run homer.
Nunez then closed out the game in the bottom of the fourth by
striking out the side.
With the victory, the Dodgers move on to play the Braves in Monday
night’s championship game. The game was originally scheduled to be played at Roosevelt Park, but because the park is still without lights the game was moved to Felix Delgado Park.
Dodgers’ pitcher Marcos Nunez pitched a shutout on Tuesday and also had an inside-the-park three-run homer.
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
Two years ago the Dodgers made it all the way to the championship game only to fall short in a 10-0 loss to the Mets. Last year they earned redemption by defeating the Blue Jays 9-2 to take the
title.
This year the Dodgers are back in the title game for a third straight time after defeating the Rangers 10-0 in Tuesday night’s Dinuba Majors Division baseball semifinals’ game.
The Dodgers entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed, bumped from the top two when the Braves beat a then-undefeated Rangers’ team last week, creating a three-way tie for first and giving the Braves the No. 1 seed based on run deferential.
The Dodgers earned their spot in the semifinals by way of a 19-4 victory in the quarterfinals.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers continued their success
with the bats by putting up three quick runs in the first inning to take the early 3-0 lead over the Rangers. Leadoff hitter Moses Quevedo got the Dodgers going on a line-drive triple up the first base line. He then provided his team’s first score of the game by stealing home on a passed ball at the plate.
After Dodgers’ Blake Herrera scored likewise, teammate Isaiah Quevedo knocked in the team’s third run on a base hit that drove in pitcher Marcos Nunez.
Braves steal title shot with late come- from-behind victory over Blue Jays
By Rick Curiel
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
By Rick Curiel
Adrian Rubalcaba. Not wasting any time, Braves elected to put Armando Mejia on the mound.
Mejia first gave up a full-count walk and then a two-run double to Blue Jays’ pitcher DeMariaon Thomas. Before you knew it, the Blue Jays were up 4-2.
The Braves then failed to get any offense going with the bottom of their lineup in the second. But Mejia started to find his locations, striking out three batters in the top of the third while only allowing one walk.
The fourth inning however, turned out to be the biggest difference in the game. And it seemed the Blue Jays were well on their way to another title game when Ayden Ramirez sent a ball deep into right field for a two-run triple, giving his team a 6-2 lead. Ramirez later came home on a line drive into centerfield by Blue Jays’ Angel Ruelas.
Down five runs with time running out, Braves head coach Christian Guerrero encouraged his team to just stay in the game.
“I told them that we had a lot of game left,” said Guerrero.
Not making anything easier for the Braves, they would have to start their rally with the
bottom three of their lineup. Walks helped put the Braves in position, as Thomas began to struggle on the mound and gave up free bases to three of the first four batters.
With bases loaded, a base hit by Braves Damian Orosco resulted in two runs scored, cutting the Blue Jays’ lead to just three. Mejia then came up big on offense by sending a ball deep into right field for a two-run double, bringing his team to within one run.
It was then Pompa who came up big, streaming a grounder past Blue Jays’ third baseman and into left field to score the go-ahead two runs.
The late rally turned the tides for the Braves and took all the wind out of the Blue Jays’ sail. Though they were given the top of the fifth, the Blue Jays only sent four batters to the plate in their last ups and the Braves walked away with the victory.
“These kids have a lot of heart,” said Guerrero. “They have a lot of fire and a lot of heart. And I know that this championship game they’re going to prove it.”
The Braves will face the Dodgers on Monday night at Felix Delgado Park. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
City Youth Softball
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com
In their last game of the regular season, the Braves stole the No. 1 seed by upsetting an undefeated Rangers team, earning them a bye in the Dinuba Majors Division baseball playoffs. Tuesday the Braves stole yet another game, this one, however, in more dramatic fashion.
The Braves were down 7-2 going into the bottom of the fourth, and seemingly final, inning when the team came up with a late six-run rally to steal what would have been a second straight title trip for the Blue Jays.
It was the top-seeded Braves who struck first in Tuesday night’s game. After shutting out the No. 4 Blue Jays in the top of the first, the Braves put up two runs in the bottom of the inning. A triple to left field by Brave’s starting pitcher Anthony Pompa scored teammate Dominic Gonzalez. Pompa then provided the second run of the game after running home on passed ball.
But Pompa struggled on the mound in the second inning, walking the first three batters before giving up a run by walking Blue Jays’
High School Softball
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
Braves Armando Mejia came in as a relief pitcher during Tuesday night’s semifinals game. He also played a key role in the Brave’s late-game rally to steal the win.
Four Cardinals
Lady Dynamite on
verge of perfect season,
title game remains
Championship game is tomorrow night at Felix Delgado Park
One returner from last year’s Lady Dodgers is pitcher Bella Ortega. After pitching for the first time last year, the team’s starting pitcher has vastly improved this year, something Sanders has credited to her work in the offseason.
In Monday’s semifinals game at Felix Delgado Park, Ortega opened with a four-batter first inning, striking out two the process.
She then came through for her team on offense in the bottom of the first by hitting in teammates Ailena Romero and Makayla Cendejas on a line drive to left field to give Lady Dynamite their first lead of the game at 2-0.
Ortege came home later in the inning on a base hit by Lady Dynamite’s Alessus Villanueva.
The top of the second inning looked a lot like the top of the first, as Ortega struck out another two batters and quickly put her team back on offense. It then looked like the Running Rebels were going to make a defensive stop in the bottom of the inning when shortstop Alexis Lopez caught a liner and the threw
See Dynamite, Page B6
make All-League,
Quevedo makes
rst team
Sentinel staff report
After going 7-7 in league this past season, the Orosi High School softball team also had one player make the East Sierra All-League first team and three players make the second team.
Cardinals’ pitcher Monica Quevedo, who will be returning as a senior next season, made the All-League first team. She started all league games this past season, winning half of them.
“With better defense she easily could have added two or three more wins,” said coach Manuel Villegas.
Making the All-League second team were Veronica Rodriguez, Charlize Domingo and Saydee Alcala. Rodriguez was the youngest player to make the second team, playing as a freshman. Domingo will return next year as a junior and Alcala will play her final year with the Cardinals as a senior next season.
“We have most of our players returning next year,” said Villegas. “That should really help us out.”
Next year, as with all Orosi athletics programs, the Cardinals’ softball team will be playing in a new league, as they move up to the West Sequoia League. Next year’s league schedule will include teams from Caruthers, Fowler, Minarets, Parlier and Riverdale. Making the move to the new league with the Cardinals will be Orange Cove.
By Rick Curiel
Lady Dynamite’s pitcher Bella Ortega had a solid semifinals performance on Monday, pitching a shutout and also hitting an inside-the-park grand slam to help her team defeat the Running Rebels 12-0. Lady Dynamite will play the Lady Giants in tomorrow night’s championship game.
Rick Curiel | The Sentinel
The strongest team coming into this year’s Dinuba Majors Softball season was the team of Lady Dynamite. Though the team name is new this year, a move made to coordinate more with the new sponsor Serrano’s Furniture, the team itself was around last year.
In fact, last year that team made it all the way to the championship game under the direction of coach Jesse Sanders as the Lady Dodgers, losing only to a then dominant Running Rebels.
This year the Running Rebels aren’t as dominant and it’s team Lady Dynamite that’s running the show this year. They have yet to lose a game this year and now, after defeating, coincidentally enough, the Running Rebels 12-0 on Monday, the No. 1 seeded team has once again made it all the way to the championship game.
“This is the team that I drafted last year,” said Sanders. “I only loose three girls after this season, so we should be good next year too.”
Dinuba Majors Division Baseball Championship
No. 1 Braves vs No. 3 Dodgers
Felix Delgado Park Monday @ 7 p.m.
Sports@thedinubasentinel.com