By Tim Peterson
(Arcadia) – Arcadia scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and Gabe Lopez did the rest with a complete game two-hitter to lead the Apaches to a 2-1 win over Westlake Friday in the CIF Division 2 Quarter-Finals.
Down 1-0 heading into the sixth, the Arcadia scored two runs to take the lead on one of the most bizarre plays you’ll ever see. The Apaches loaded the bases on two hit batters and a walk and with two out Damian Catano hit a ground ball to short that could have ended the inning. But instead the throw was high and in a close play Catano was ruled safe at first and the tying run scored.
The Westlake coaches immediately jumped out of the dugout to argue the call. Amidst the chaos, Jordan Vogel, who was on second base and then took third on the throw, headed for home. By the time the throw to the plate was made Vogel had safely sild in with the go ahead run. The Westlake coaches continued to argue vehemently, now about both plays. After much discussion, Catano and Vogel were both safe and the Apaches were up 2-1.
“That’s a freshman that made that play”, Arcadia coach Nick Lemas said of Vogel. “It’s a heads-up play. My main concern was that if a time out was called. But it wasn’t so it was still live ball. I knew if there if there wasn’t a timeout the call would stand.”
It did, and Westlake finally got the last out of the inning. Lopez then came out and retired Westlake in the seventh inning to secure the victory and a trip to the CIF Division 2 Semi- Finals.
Lopez struck out 11 on the day for the Apaches in the complete game victory.
“I knew it would be a close because I knew Gabe would keep us in the game. I did have another guy up but he was doing so well that I left him out there,” Lemas said.
The Apaches will now hit the road to take on Hart on Tuesday in the Semis.
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