MIDDLETOWN — An eight-run top of the fifth inning turned a competitive game into a rout as the St. Vincent Mustangs beat the Middletown Mustangs 14-3 in a North Central League I interlock varsity baseball contest on Tuesday at Wes Martin Field.
Both teams put three runs on the board in the first inning. St. Vincent then pushed ahead to stay with two runs in the second. The Petaluma team added a run in the fourth before putting the game out of reach in the fifth.
“We were hanging in there and then the wheels fell off in the fifth,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said.
St. Vincent ace Nick Baldocchi blanked Middletown after the first inning and finished with an eight-hitter. He struck out four and walked three with a 130-pitch complete-game effort.
“He had struck out 28 in 15 innings coming into the game,” Tucker said. “We did put the ball in play against him.”
But Middletown (2-5) simply gave St. Vincent too many chances, according to Tucker. “We gave them too many free bases,” Tucker said of the six walks issued by Middletown pitching and the six errors committed by the Mustangs” defense.
There was one bright spot for Middletown as the team”s fourth and final pitcher of the day, sophomore Eric Tomko, worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, striking out two and walking none.
“He was the silver lining,” Tucker said. “He came in there and threw strikes. And his curveball fooled a couple of guys.”
Losing pitcher Kelley McKinley went 2-for-4 with a RBI and Travis Taylor went 2-for-4 for Middletown. Jordan Fleischmann went 3-for-4 for St. Vincent and Baldocchi helped his own cause by going 1-for-2 with a triple.
Middletown plays at Esparto on Thursday afternoon. The Mustangs” next home game is Tuesday afternoon against Cloverdale. Both games begin at 4 p.m.
