SOUTH COUNTY — The King City Mustang baseball team swept the league series with Greenfield, defeating the Bruins by a 4-0 score at Greenfield and winning by a 6-5 score at home.
King City is in third place in the Mission Trail Athletic League at 10-3-1, and improved their overall record to 15-6-1. King City has a two-game series this week with Anzar, and completes the regular season in a home and away series next week against the Carmel Padres.
“To win league we need Soledad to lose, but they are playing great baseball right now and that’s going to be tough,” said King City head coach Lorenzo Espino. “All we need to do is keep on winning our games and we can’t worry about what everybody else is doing. We just need to be trust our process and let things be. We win and we’re in CCS (Central Coast Section). It’s really tough to get into the baseball playoffs and we have been very fortunate that have gotten in the last two years. For us to get in again this year would be great for the boys, the program, and the school.”
In the first game with Greenfield on April 24, King City pitcher Brian Lopez threw a 4-0 shutout over the host Bruins. Jose Arreola had two runs batted in the lead the Mustangs and Tommy Stephens and Ponch Jimenez had two basehits apiece.
“Since Tommy Stephens return from knee surgery, we have been a different team,” said Espino. “His leadership and athletic ability has enabled us to be able to move our lineup a little and be more powerful and flexible with our bench. I really like how we’re playing right now.”
Andy Espinoza led Greenfield with two singles and Alexis Zavala added a single. Zavala took the loss and pitched six innings. Andrew Truillo pitched the final inning for the Bruins.
At King City for the second game the Mustangs held a 4-1 lead until the top of the sixth when the Bruins rallied to take a 5-4 lead. King City tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning and won the game with a hit by Tommy Stephens to score baserunner Carson Caulk.
“We came back and took a 4-1 lead but we gave it right back to them,” said Coach Espino. “They (Bruins), took the lead at 5-4 but we scored against and sent the game into extra innings where Tommy Stephens hit a walk off in the bottom of the ninth.”
Ponch Jimenez reached base in the final inning with a single and was replaced at first base by Caulk. Stephens hit a basehit to score Caulk to secure the victory. Stephens had three hits in the game and Clay Barbree and Adam Cortez had two hits apiece. John Serrano threw the final three innings to earn the win.
Agustin Pantoja had a double for Greenfield and Andy Espinoza, Daniel Espinoza, and Alexis Zavala added singles. The Bruins fell to 7-7 in the MTAL and are 10-11 overall.
