Coming off a close win over Valencia on Tuesday, the Indians were looking to complete the season sweep of the Vikings for 2005. Having posted 3 wins over Valencia ( 2 in Foothill league play, 1 in Spring Break tournament), Hart was looking at making it 4. However, in a game played on their home field, the Indians were stopped by Valencia pitching as the Vikings posted a 6-1 win over the Indians. Viking pitching limited Hart to 7 hits scattered over 7 innings. Jake Hovis was the only Indian to have a multiple hit game, getting 2 singles. With the loss , Hart's Foothill league record gets pushed back to .500 as the Indians are now 6-6, with three games left next week against Burbank.
Valencia got on the board first, getting a run in the top half of the first inning. Starting pitcher Tim Plante was touched for 4 Viking singles in the inning. After Plante stopped Valencia in the top of the second, the Indians notched up the score, getting their first inning of the ballgame in their half of the second. Mattie Hernandez led off the inning , lining a double down the left field line . After a perfect sacrifice bunt by Jason Rehhaut to put Hernandez at 3rd, Brian Klocko came up and promptly drove a ball to left for a double and an rbi to score Hernandez and tie the score at 1-1 after 2 innings of play. Little did anyone know at this time, that this would be the Indians only run of the ballgame.
The top of the 3rd inning proved to be the decisive inning of the game as Valencia quickly answered, scoring 3 times in an inning where they were only able to get one hit. The Indians had 2 opportunities to hold the Vikings scoreless, however on 2 crucial plays, were unable to execute and get out of the inning. The first was a potential double play with the bases loaded and 1 out that they could not turn. The second was a two out swinging wild pitch strikeout that the Viking hitter reached safely on that could have ended the inning.
In the 5th and 6th, the Indians made a little noise offensively in an attempt to get back in the game. In the 5th, Logan Foley and Jake Hovis both singled to put runners on with 1 out. However, 2 fly balls to the outfield stranded both runners to end the inning. In the 6th, Tim Plante and Mike Cieskzo had back to back singles with 2 outs, however pinch runner Mike Morgan was cut down attempting to advance from 1st to 3rd on Cieszko's single to end the inning.
After Valencia put 2 insurance runs on the board against reliever Cameron Stoffel in the top of the 7th, the Indians came up to bat needing 5 runs to at least send the game into extra innings. After two quick walks to Adam Reyes and Andrew Marin, things were looking good for Hart. With one out, pinch hitter Ryan Kalinowski, then grounded back to the pitcher who made a high throw to second base which pulled the fielder off the bag , allowing Marin to reach base safely. However, believing that he had been called out , Marin stepped off the bag just enough to be tagged out by the Viking shortstop. After Mattie Hernandez was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, the Indian rally was stopped as well as the game, as Valencia fielded a fly ball for their first win over Hart this season.
Hart completes Foothill league play and their season against Burbank next week. The Indians host Burbank on Tuesday for a double header, and travel to Burbank on friday.
Narrative courtesy of Del Hernandez