An inspired effort by the Anchorpoint Christian baseball team
helped the Warriors get their first win of the season by beating
host Anzar 3-2 on Tuesday.
San Juan Bautista – An inspired effort by the Anchorpoint Christian baseball team helped the Warriors get their first win of the season by beating host Anzar 3-2 on Tuesday.
“Today was extra special,” Anchorpoint coach Ken Bradley said. “The founder of our school (Stephen Malone) passed away Sunday. We were certainly inspired. We dedicated this game to him.”
Victor Rodriguez was the biggest star of the day for the Warriors, twirling a complete game two-hitter, while also blasting a two-run homer that gave Anchorpoint a lead it would never relinquish.
The win was also the first of the season and came on the heels of a 22-1 loss to Harker.
“Coming off the 22-1 loss, this was more than we expected,” Bradley said.
After both teams went scoreless in the first, the Hawks took the early advantage with some well-executed small ball in the second.
Massimo Marra-Biggs led off with a walk, moved to third on a pair of stolen bases and scored on a base hit by Adam Wilkinson.
Anzar pitcher McKinney then had his strongest inning of the day in the third, striking out the side as part of a streak of five straight strike outs.
But Anchorpoint finally got to him in the fourth. Ryan Tapla led off with a single before Victor Rodriguez blasted a two-run homer to right-center.
Robert Apolinar followed with a single, but McKinney settled down and retired the side.
Anzar threatened in the fourth. Adrian Monroy, Scott Benson and Paolo Marra-Biggs each walked to load the bases, but Rodriguez – who pitched a complete game two-hitter for the Warriors – recorded a strike out to end the threat.
Anchorpoint got its insurance in the fifth when Justin Ringer walked and eventually scored on a Tapla RBI single.
The Hawks loaded the bases again in the fifth and got one run when Massimo Marra-Biggs hit a sacrifice fly, but Rodriguez got out of the jam and Anzar went down quietly in the final two innings.
“We have a very young team and to have a 3-2 game shows what baseball is all about,” Bradley said. “I’m just very proud of the kids.”
Anchorpoint 000 210 0 – 3 5 0
Anzar 010 010 0 – 2 2 0
Rodriguez and Wylie. McKinney and P. Marra-Biggs.
