WINTERS — Going nearly a month between victories, the Middletown High School varsity baseball team won its first two games on Thursday at the five-team, round-robin Winters Tournament in Winters.
Middletown opened its season March 9 with a win over Willows and had lost seven straight before ending that streak early Thursday with a 9-2 win against none other than the Willows Honkers. The Mustangs (3-7) came back later in the afternoon to beat Portola 7-4.
“It was much needed,” Middletown coach Mitch Tucker said. “It sure made the day a lot sweeter to win both. We”ve played a tough schedule and we do have a better team than our record shows, but you have to prove it on the field.”
Daniel Sallee opened the Portola game on the mound for the Mustangs and pitched three perfect innings before entering the bottom of the fourth with a 4-0 lead. Portola scored a run set up by an error and went on to load the bases with two outs.
“They blooped a double to clear the bases,” Tucker said. “It was a little flair behind the first baseman and our right fielder and second baseman collided trying to make the catch.”
Reliever Ryan Johnson shut down Portola over the final three innings and ended up the winning pitcher when the Mustangs broke the 4-4 tie with three runs in the top of the seventh. Dylan Pastor”s two-run single put Middletown in front to stay and he later scored on a Kyle Harmyk grounder.
Middletown built a 4-0 lead with two runs in the first inning and single runs in the third and fourth.
John Hays went 3-for-5 with a RBI to lead the Mustangs at the plate and Pastor, the Middletown leadoff hitter, finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs and two stolen bases.
Earlier against Willows, Middletown scored a run in the top of the first and never looked back, increasing its lead to 8-1 with a four-run fourth.
Dylan Galusha worked the first five innings for the victory and Saul Preciado closed it out.
Pastor sparked the offense by going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, two runs and a stolen base. Hays went 1-for-3 with three RBIs.
“Pastor has done a great job all season,” Tucker said.
Middletown plays Quincy today at 4 p.m. and finishes up tourney play Saturday against Winters at 10 a.m.
