Tony Davalos struck out ten in complete game victory
(El Monte) – Tony Davalos fired a complete game and Arroyo got all the runs it needed in the first inning in a 2-1 win over Gabrielino Friday in a key Mission Valley League contest.
The victory left Arroyo on the brink of the MVL crown. The Knights, (10-2), are a game and one-half ahead of Gabrielino, (9-4), with one week remaining on the schedule. Arroyo has three games left due to a make up game at Rosemead next Friday while the Eagles have two remaining.
Davalos struck out 10, allowed five hits and did not walk a batter while allowing only one run that came in the first inning.
Davalos needed to be at his best to beat Gabrielino ace Angel Acosta. Acosta, who beat the Knights 1-0 on April 11, was nearly as effective this time out. He allowed two runs in the first but settled down after that to throw five scoreless innings.
Angel Acosta was nearly as good with 11 Ks and only two hits allowed while going the distance
Acosta gave up only two hits, both in the first inning, and struck out 11 nearly matching Davalos pitch for pitch. He did walk four batters but it didn’t hurt him.
In the top of the first Acosta singled with one out and stole second. Nathaniel Sarkar then hit a ground ball to short and the throw was wild trying to get Acosta at third. Vincent Albelo’s followed with a grounder to first that was misplayed and Acosta scored. Davalos then got out of the jam by striking out the next two batters.
Arroyo came right back and took advantage of some shoddy defense by Gabrielino to take the lead. Alex Solis led off and struck out but reached first safely when the third strike got away from the catcher. David Guerrero then bunted down the third base line and beat it out but the throw from third sailed by the first baseman and Solis came all the way around to score with Guerrero taking second. Mike Amaya’s double plated Guerrero.
And that was it. Nobody scored the rest of the way.
Acosta fanned two in the second, one in the fourth, and the side in the fifth after walking the first two batters.
But it wasn’t enough as Davalos was up to the task. Davalos struck out at least one batter in every inning. In the sixth, Albelo singled to left with two out but was picked off by Davalos. In the seventh, Lorenzo Mena singled to left to lead off the inning. Frank Gonzalez then hit a high drive to left field that looked like it had a chance to leave the yard. But Luis Olvera raced back and hauled it in to take away an extra base hit. Davalos then struck ut the next two batters to end it.
G 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
A 2 0 0 0 0 0 2
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