Modesto JC takes Delta, nation’s top-ranked team to the limit, falls 1-0

After Modesto Junior College’s William Reeder took a foul ball off the leg during Tuesday’s Big 8 Conference matchup with San Joaquin Delta, second baseman Josh Miguel wanted to buy his catcher a little recovery time, so he went to the mound to have a chat with freshman starter Tyler Arnsberg.

“What are you doing different?” Miguel asked the Pirates’ hurler.

Arnsberg’s response was startling.

“I’m not thinking,” Arnsberg said. “I’m just throwing it.”

Arnsberg, who gave up a run in the first, settled down and nearly led the Pirates to an upset of the nation’s No. 1 team, which held on for a 1-0 victory Tuesday at MJC field.

“I take the blame for this one,” Arnsberg said, being far too critical of himself. “This one’s on me. You can’t walk a guy in the first inning like that, because this is what happens.

“I was a little amped up in that first inning. If I don’t walk that guy, we’re still in this game.”

After striking out the first batter he faced, Arnsberg walked Kris Bartlett, then gave up consecutive singles to first baseman Zack Perugi and Oklahoma State-bound catcher Collin Theroux. He retired the side with another strikeout and a groundout to short.

Arnsberg pitched out of mini-jams in the third, fifth and sixth innings, going 81/3 with five strikeouts and five walks while scattering six hits.

But as good as Arnsberg was, Delta’s Cameron Leeper was better. The freshman southpaw pitched nine innings, fanning eight, walking three and giving up just two hits – a single to Central Catholic graduate Matt Clark in the fifth and another to Damien Arteago in the ninth.

“Both kids competed and threw the ball well,” said MJC coach Zeb Brayton, whose team dipped to 9-11 overall and 3-4 in conference, and will start sophomore left-hander Eddie Machado on Thursday when the teams meet again in Stockton at 2:30 p.m. “Their guy was really good; very dominating.

“And with the wind blowing in today, we knew it was going to be tough scoring runs. They got the big hit early and made it last.”

The Pirates threatened in the fourth when Spencer Thomas reached on an error to lead off the frame but couldn’t capitalize. In the fifth and sixth, MJC had a runner in scoring position with less than two outs and couldn’t bring either around.

After Arteago smoked a one-out single back through the box, Reeder hit a hot smash to third. Only a nice play by Nelson Muniz prevented the ball from being a hit, possibly a double that could have tied the score.

Arnsberg, whose father, Tim, played in the Houston Astros chain, reaching Double A, and whose uncle, Brad, played six seasons in the big leagues, said neither he nor his teammates were concerned with Delta’s undefeated record and lofty national ranking by Perfect Game USA.

“Not at all,” said Arnsberg, a 5-foot-11, 170-pounder who throws two types of fastballs, a cutter, curve, splitter and change-up. “It’s just Delta. None of us cared. We’re working toward making the playoffs. That’s all that matters.

“If we keep playing like this, the sky’s the limit.”

This story was originally published March 24, 2015 at 11:04 PM with the headline "Modesto JC takes Delta, nation’s top-ranked team to the limit, falls 1-0."