By Tim Peterson
(Temple City) – Evan Huelster belted two home runs and Monrovia hit four dingers overall in a 17-8 clubbing of Temple City Tuesday night at Marquardt Stadium at Bosson Field in a game that lasted three hours and 35 minutes.
It looked like it was going to be a big night offensively for Monrovia when leadoff hitter Lucas Martinez drilled the second pitch of the night to left field for a home run.
The Wildcats added six more runs in the second inning. Jayden Castaneda and Braedon Petteruto-Shine walked and Martinez beat out an infield hit to load the bases. Troy Grise then walked to force in a run and Braydon Blackmore singled to left to drive in two more. Huelster then unloaded a three-run home run to right field and just like that Monrovia had a seemingly insurmountable 7-0 lead in the second inning.
That changed quickly. In the bottom of the second Gavin Hang reached on an error and with one out Tyler Womack and Bodie Kelley walked. Andy Kobayashi and Ricardo Quimiro both singled to drive in runs and then Peyton Navarat delivered the big blow. With the bases still loaded he rocked a base-clearing double to the gap in right field. Later in the inning Hang walked and Womack was hit by a pitch to force in two more. By the time the dust had settled, or the brand-new turf in this case, the game was tied at seven.
Noah Ulloa came on the second to relieve Monrovia starter Sutton Powers but lasted one-third of an inning. James Quesenbery had to come on to get the last out in the inning.
As Quesenbery settled in the Monrovia offense went back to work. Blackmore singled in a run in the third to give the Cats an 8-7 lead but the Rams tied it in the bottom of the third on a run scoring single by Nathan Platon.
The Wildcats finally took the lead for good with three in the fifth. Blackmore, who went four for five with five RBI, doubled in a run, Huelster singled in another and a sacrifice fly made it 11-8.
The Cats iced it in the sixth inning with six more runs. Grise, a left hander, went oppo taco as he parked one over the left field barrier for a two-run blast. Huelstra then hit his second bomb of the night – a prolific shot that was last seen spiraling through the sky and out into the night over right field to cap the scoring barrage.
Devon Cobb started and went three innings for Temple City and allowed eight runs. The Rams also used Jagger Erickson and Kobayashi but neither one was able to stifle the Monrovia offensive attack.
Quesenbery allowed just one run through four and one-third and was able to settle things down. Gavin Shearin finished up.
“We swung the bats all day long. Our offense overcame a lot of mistakes. I brought in Quesenbery and he obviously slowed things down,” said Monrovia head coach Brad Blackmore. “He’s an amazing pitcher but I really didn’t want to have to use him tonight. You have a 7-0 lead with a senior on the mound and the next thing you know its 7-7. You got to win league game so you can’t really worry about what’s next. You can win them 2-1 and you can win them like this but you just got to win them.”
With the win Monrovia improved to 8-2-1 overall and 1-0 in the Rio Hondo League. Temple City fell to 2-8 and 0-3.
M 1 6 1 0 3 6 0 17 14 4
T 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 8 7 1
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