By Corey Kwok
(San Gabriel) – Gabrielino’s Angel Acosta and Arroyo’s Mark Roche matched each other pitch for pitch for 4 1/2 scoreless innings. But the Eagles pushed one across in the fifth and held on for a 1-0 victory over the Knights Wednesday in a key Mission Valley League contest.
Brendan Campbell, at third base and first baseman Nathaniel Sarkar both made big defensive plays for Gabrielino to keep the game scoreless. Johnny Moreno also was in the right place at the right time as he gloved a one out grounder, stepped on second and fired it to Sarkar for an inning ending double play.
In GHS’ half of the fifth, Sarkar looped a single in front of the center fielder and appeared to score on Joey Sloane’s double to left center. But he missed tagging third on the sprint home according to the umpires and was declared out.
Moreno then hit a grounder to the hole that resulted in a two base miscue as it traveled underneath the shortstop’s glove and sailed to left. Sloane scored what turned out to be the only run of the game for Gabrielino, and Acosta made it stand up.
Acosta threw a complete game shutout to get the W. He scattered six hits and escaped a one out, two on jam by fanning the final two outs. He struck out 12 to boost his season K total to 127 and improved his record to 8-4. Catcher Keith Clapp denied the Knights’ lone steal attempt in the sixth for the frame’s last out.
Roche put together a solid effort of his own in loss by sitting down 9 of the first 12 Gabrielino batters. Center fielder Mike Amaya shined for the Knights going 2 for 3 at the plate. Alex Solis, Steven Adame, Roman Davalos, and Jesse Garcia were also in the Knights’ hitting column.
A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 6 3
G 0 0 0 0 1 0 x – 1 6 1
A: Roche / Adame
G: A. Acosta / Clapp
No HRs/3Bs
2B: Sloane (G) solo @ btm 5th
No RBIs
Ks: A. Acosta (G) 12, Roche (A) 5
W: A. Acosta (8-4)
L: Roche (N/A)
Arroyo 9-9/7-5; Gabrielino 13-9/9-3
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