ESPARTO — Suavae Cook”s second home run of the game and fifth of the season, a two-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, forced extra innings and Esparto High School went on to beat the Middletown Mustangs 4-3 in nine innings Thursday in a non-league varsity baseball game at Esparto.
Cook drilled a Jake Strickler pitch over the fence in right field to tie the score at 3-3. He also hit an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the first for Esparto”s only run until the seventh.
“It”s crazy, we can”t buy a break,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said as the Mustangs slipped to 2-6 on the season. “He (Cook) killed us.”
Cook, who also earned the win with two innings of one-hit, shutout relief, led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk against losing pitcher Devin Nordin, stole second and scored moments later on a single.
Middletown had a 3-1 lead after 2 ? innings and Strickler held it until Cook”s heroics in the bottom of the seventh.
After going down in order in the top of the eighth, Middletown mounted a threat in the top of the ninth when Jacky Crachiola led off with a single, was sacrificed to second and moved to third on a Strickler groundout. The next better, Kelley McKinley, rolled a grounder to shortstop that was initially bobbled, but the throw to first beat McKinley by a half-step, according to Tucker.
Strickler worked eight strong innings only to receive a no-decision. He allowed seven hits, struck out seven and walked one.
The Mustangs were minus two starters for the Esparto game. Tony Zagajowski was out sick and the team”s starting catcher has been dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons, according to Tucker.
“I had to bring up two JV kids and we were starting five sophomores,” Tucker said.
One of the sophomores was second baseman Zack Strickler, Jake”s younger brother.
Crachiola, Taylor and Jake Strickler all had two hits for the Mustangs, who play three home games next week Tuesday against Cloverdale, Wednesday against Calistoga and Friday against Clear Lake.
