Monrova Co-Coach Brad Blackmore
By Corey Kwok
(Temple City) – Monrovia overcame a two run deficit with a four run fourth and went on to beat Temple City 4-2 Thursday in Rio Hondo League action.
The Wildcats (8-2, 3-1) finished the first round of Rio Hondo league play on top by 1/2 a game with the victory over the Rams (10-1-1), who suffered
thier first overall and league loss of the season.
Both teams had yet to score heading into the bottom of the fifth as Rams pitcher Kyle Starling was rolling along with a three hit shutout, while the Wildcats’ Joe Mata was enjoying a no-no. Benji Sanderson belted a long-hop single to the left-center shallows with one out in the fifth to break up Mata’s no-hitter. Then the next batter, Ben Arrue, down 1-2 in the count off a foul ball, crushed the ensuing pitch onto the parking lot over left field for a two run shot and 2-0 a TC lead.
Monrovia responded in the sixth stanza, scoring all four runs as they twice loaded the bases with no outs. Nick Carino tied it up on a two run line single to right-center before Chris Burkholder, facing an 0-2 count, buzzed his offering through a narrow seam onto the lawn between the third baseman and the bag.
Temple City threatened once more in the bottom of the seventh with one out and two on as Sanderson slashed an infield stinger and Arrue was struck by pitch. Burkholder,
who entered to pitch at the start of the sixth, induced a 6-4-3 double play to extinguish the threat, earn a save and also, the M-Town win.
The Wildcats also received terrific play in the outfield from right-fielder Carl Daniels, who caught an a foul fly ball flown his way to end the first inning before canning it once more in the fourth with a nice grab and leap over the first base fence.
M 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 6 1
TC 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 – 2 3 1
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