BHS Baseball: Fullerton ends Aztecs season

BARSTOW • The Barstow High School baseball team had one comeback left in it.

What it didn’t have was enough to battle back from a 10-run deficit.

The Aztecs ended (15-9; 7-5 Desert Sky League) their season with a 14-9 loss in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division IV playoffs on Wednesday at home.

“It hurts now, but it will get better,” senior outfielder Cody Vinson said. “Honestly, we are a family here. I love all these guys. It’s sad now, but it will be happy later. It’s not good-bye, it’s see you later.”

Fullerton advances to face Torrance, which beat Palm Springs 5-0 on Tuesday, in the third round.

Fullerton led the entire game and seemed to have a spot in the quarterfinals wrapped up by the sixth inning. Aided by several Barstow errors, Fullerton added on to its four-run lead with six more runs in the sixth to make 14-4.

The end appeared to be nearing for Barstow when Thomas McCarty and Alex O’Neal struckout back-to-back just three batters into the bottom of the sixth.

In all reality, the Aztecs were just getting started.

The Aztecs scored two runs while loading the bases before leadoff hitter Jaccob Muir came to the plate. Muir, who hit a home run in an earlier at bat, sent a shot into right field that Hector Ayon bobbled. Despite still be down by five runs, the Aztecs’ bench jumped as Matthew Negrette, Billy McCall and Phil Peralta cross home plate to make it 14-9.

“We are known for fighting back so we just fought back as hard as we can,” Peralta said. “You can’t go down that easy. You have to go down with fight. If you are not fighting, you are not trying hard. Then there’s no reason to be out there.”

Fullerton finally collected the third out of the inning when Chris Madero grounded out to second. The out ended the Aztecs’ rally and their season was soon to follow. There was no second comeback in the seventh inning as Barstow didn’t get anyone on base.

Barstow coach Bruce Mitchell said it was his team’s never-quit attitude that he most enjoyed throughout the season.

“What I’m most proud of is our guys never quit from the first game of the year to this last one,” Mitchell said. “I think we developed that reputation.”

Fullerton came in as a team well prepared for any late-inning drama. The Indians have seven walk-off wins and 10 wins that came in the seventh inning this season.

“I’d have loved kept it 14-4, but the way this team has been all year, we like to make things interesting,” Fullerton coach Marc Price said.

Each team hit three home runs, but the Indians scored seven runs off their bombs, which included a grand slam in the third inning, while Barstow scored four runs.

“That’s a heck of hitting team,” Mitchell said. “One through nine they can hit the ball.”

Aaron Sanchez pitched five innings for Barstow with five strikeouts. He also went 3-for-4 with two home runs at the plate. Muir, who pitched a complete game in Barstow’s first round win against Monrovia, relived Sanchez in the sixth and finished with three strikeouts. Muir also hit a home run and was 2-for-4.

Fullerton 304 106 0 — 14 13 3
Barstow 201 015 0 — 9 8 4

Carlos, Belleque and Brisbane; Sanchez, Muir (6) and Negrette. WP — Carlos. LP — Sanchez. 2B — Ficociello, Velazquez (F). HR — Ficociello 2, Velazquez, Sanchez 2, Muir (B).

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mpeters@desertdispatch.com