Bethel High School senior Alex Sanchez may have to run a lap sometime next week after missing a sign in Friday's baseball game against rival Vallejo. He says it's worth it. Sanchez was supposed to take the first pitch to him in the fifth inning, bu…
Bethel High School senior Alex Sanchez may have to run a lap sometime next week after missing a sign in Friday's baseball game against rival Vallejo.
He says it's worth it.
Sanchez was supposed to take the first pitch to him in the fifth inning, but instead swatted it down the left field line to drive in two runs and give the Jaguars some breathing room in a 7-3 victory.
"I was definitely given a sign and I had seen it but it was cookie right down the middle so I said, 'Let me see what I can get,'" Sanchez said, with a laugh. "I put it right down the line and got a double out of it. Was it worth it? Yes I got me two RBI out of it so I'll take it."
Bethel head coach J.R. Lindsey said he is going to think about letting Sanchez off the hook for missing the sign.
"He was told to take a pitch, but he ripped it," Lindsey said, with a laugh. "I might let him get away with it since he ripped it."
It was a big victory for Bethel, which is in fourth place in the Tri-County Athletic League and in win-or-go-home mode with the league playoffs starting next week. Bethel, with drainage problems on its home field, has played all but three games this season on the road.
Bethel catcher, Oscar Patino, celebrates with closing pitcher Alex Sanchez as they win the final game of the regular season 7-3 over Vallejo on Friday. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)
The location hardly matters when Bethel pitcher C.J. Faubert is operating the way he did on Friday, staying out of trouble enough to go five and one-third innings for the victory.
"We came in with a game plan and we finally executed," the coach said. "With C.J. pitching, we're always in the game. He battled through. He was a little rough at times and his mechanics were a little off, but he just kept fighting and putting strikes in."
Faubert and Vallejo starting pitcher David Bernstine III struggled early on the mound. Both teams came out swinging in the first inning, with Bethel scoring three quick runs, but the Redhawks answering with two of their own.
The score remained 3-2 until Sanchez connected for his two-run double.
Vallejo tried to answer in the bottom of the fifth but Royce Pennington was doubled up at second base for leaving too early on a fly out to end a threat.
Bethel added two more runs in the top of the sixth to make it 7-2 when Cristobal Estrella drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Oscar Patino drove in a run with a single down the left field line.
Vallejo cut the lead in the bottom of the sixth to 7-3 on Jeremiah Peace's run-scoring double, but the Redhawks failed to score again. When relief pitcher Sanchez induced a Denim Dilley ground out to short, Bethel had its season split with the Redhawks, who had defeated Bethel 7-1 on Tuesday.
The loss ended a four-game winning streak for Vallejo. Meanwhile Bethel hopes the win creates momentum.
"We want to put the first part of the season in the past and see what we can do," Sanchez said. "We still have a chance. We're still in it, and we're trying to help our team out by getting a banner. Against Vallejo I feel like it's always competitive. It's really fun to play and I want to play hard for the city of Vallejo where I've lived my whole life."
"I tell the team now — 'three wins,'" Lindsey said. "The whole season can be erased starting today. We had a tough preseason schedule and not playing any home games. But if we start winning right now we can have a big smile."
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