Heat hold off late Wave rally for slim 7-6 victory to take 2-0
lead in American Legion series
GILROY – It’s a game that pits brother versus brother and neighbor versus neighbor.
It’s all about garlic-town bragging rights when the Gilroy Heat and Gilroy Wave square off on the Gilroy High School baseball diamond in American Legion action.
In the second of four scheduled games, the veteran Heat squad, which plays in the 19-under A Division, defeated the younger Wave unit, which plays in the 18-under B Division, by a slim 7-6 margin.
“Again, I loved it. It was awesome, a 7-6 game. I saw a little of everything,” said Heat head coach Clint Wheeler, who evaluates both sides because most of the players will be on his GHS varsity team at some point in time.
“Our guys got out early to a 7-0 lead, but the other guys chipped away, 7-2, 7-5, and then 7-6 with a couple of guys on,” he added. “It was great.”
Just like in the first June 17 match-up, which the Heat won 5-2, Wheeler made his older team use wooden bats as “the equalizer” since the Wave have players who just finished their seventh-grade year and the Heat have players who just completed their freshmen season of college.
“Our guys, they come out talking shutout, but they kept chipping away,” Wheeler said. “That wood is an unbelievable equalizer.”
Wave pitchers broke two Heat wooden bats for the first time, but the veteran unit moved to a 2-0 series lead. The next garlic showdown will be Thursday at Gilroy High and then later on in the season.
“We just kind of decided the last couple of years to go down and find the youngest guys and best guys,” Wheeler said. “We’re just getting the best kids in town and playing the best possible baseball.”
Junior outfielder Joe Cano tallied three runs-batted-in on three base hits to lead the Heat offense, which scored two runs in the third and second innings, and three in the fourth. Junior Anthony Lucio contributed as well with a pair of base knocks.
“(Cano) has been huge. He’s batting probably .400 for us right now. He’s had two RBIs in each of last five games. He’s doing really well for us,” Wheeler said. “(Lucio) is so patient. He’ll hit the ball up middle or go the other way. He does a great job.”
The Wave got big offensive games from Christian Lam, who had a couple of big hits, and seventh-grader David Garcia, who had a two-run base knock. Garcia’s older brother, junior Carlos Garcia, plays for the Heat. The other brothers who were in opposing dugouts were the Heat’s Ben Hemeon and the Wave’s Matt Hemeon.
After falling behind 7-0, the Wave threatened for the upset with two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth. Although they made a game of it, the Wave could not jump ahead.
Junior Jeff MacPhail got the win with four innings of work – giving up only two unearned runs – before sophomore Drew Anderson went two innings and sophomore Chris Hernandez closed out the game for the Heat.
The Wave started with eighth-grader Jacob Dexter on the hill and then went with relievers Steven Jeske and Kevin Grove, another player who just finished the eighth grade.
Heading into Thursday’s rematch, the Heat hold a 9-6 record in American Legion and the Wave, which went 1-2 over the weekend, maintain a 4-6 mark.
