Late runs lift Pitman over Turlock in crosstown series win
The Pitman High baseball team refused to go through a repeat of last year.
In 2022, the Pride entered the final game of a three-game slate with crosstown rival Turlock High tied 1-1 after dropping the first and winning the second. They went on to lose the series at home, 6-3, giving the Bulldogs the upper hand in the Central California Athletic League standings and, more important, bragging rights.
This year’s rubber match, played Friday at Turlock High, had similar stakes. Pitman (13-6-2, 8-1 CCAL) was in control of the league’s top spot entering the week, but a series loss could shake things up.
The Pride lost the first game, 11-2, but bounced back with a Game 2 win, 14-4.
After losing to the Bulldogs last year, Pitman got its payback.
A rally in the top of the seventh inning gave the Pride the lead they needed, and a 1-2-3 bottom half gave them a 4-1 series-clinching victory.
In winning, Pitman takes the season series for the first time since 2017.
“Last year, we fell to them and then having to hear the whole year that they’re better than us, we knew coming in here we had to have a better mentality,” senior Andrew Balentine said. “It means everything to us. We want league, too, but this is the most important series for us and we’re just happy to come out with a win. It was a great game.”
Pitman southpaw Drew Walker and Turlock right-hander Andrew Lujan were locked into a pitching duel for the game’s first six innings, with each allowing just one run.
Each managed to get himself out of innings unscathed, leaving runners stranded in scoring position.
The Pride grabbed the momentum in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Turlock (12-9-1, 8-4 CCAL) was set up to score with two outs, runners at the corners and one of the team’s RBI leaders, Carson Gonzales, in the batter’s box.
With a full count, Walker forced Gonzales to ground out to third base to end the inning without surrendering the lead.
“It definitely was a momentum swing,” said Pitman coach Andy Walker. “I knew that if we got that out, I liked our odds. Our boys got a lot of fight, they’re gritty, so I knew they were going to get it done.”
The Pride put their first three runners of the final inning on base. Walker kicked things off with a leadoff single, and Brandon Leon reached on an error. Walker, who advanced to third on the error that put Leon on base, scored on an error by Turlock’s ace Payton Hawkinson to give the Pride a 2-1 lead.
Shortstop Christian Jacinto doubled to left field, scoring two and extending Pitman’s lead to 4-1.
“Those three runs we put up in the last inning were big,” said Walker, who went the distance, giving up two hits and striking out seven. “It’s a lot different for me pitching a 1-1 game or a 4-1 game. I feel like I have a little bit of cushion. I just tried to keep a short mind and focus pitch to pitch and just not let the adrenaline get to me and just keep throwing strikes like I know how to do and trust my defense they’re gonna make plays behind me.”
The Pride remain locked in the league’s top spot, but things could change in the final week of the regular season. They play Enochs next week before a pair of games against Downey. They will finish the series opener, which was delayed in the 10th inning and sits at 4-4, and play the second game of the series, which was rained out in late March.
Turlock finishes CCAL play with a three-game set against Gregori.
