Vigilantes Can’t Hold Ball, Lead

MISSION VIEJO — There was a listless feeling to the Vigilantes’ Sunday afternoon game with visiting Bend at Saddleback College.

At times that feeling invaded the pitchers, hitters and the fielders of both teams but Bend won, 16-9.

Besides the 25 runs, the teams combined for 36 hits, 11 errors and several mental mistakes.

“It was just Sunday afternoon,” Bend Manager Al Gallagher said. “That’s how it seems to be in this league. The batters seem to see the ball better and the pitchers seem to tire easier.”

Despite the score, the Vigilantes (14-17) were a hit away from being tied in the eighth inning when they were down, 10-9, with Bret Barberie coming up and a runner at second.

Barberie, who already had four hits, worked the count to three balls and a strike and hit a liner but directly at right fielder Michael Cole.

Still, Barberie remains the hottest hitting Vigilante. He is 23 for 55 (.418) in the last 14 games to raise his average to .325.

That turned out to be the last reasonable chance for the Vigilantes as Bend scored six runs--three on a homer by Bernie Nunez--in the ninth against reliever Kirk Kishita.

Kishita had taken over for Josh Gingrich, who turned in his best performance of the season. Gingrich gave up no runs and a hit in 3 1/3 innings.

The loss ended a confounding series for the Vigilantes, who lost two of three to last-place Bend (13-18) after taking two of three against first-place Reno.

Bend opened the scoring with three runs in the third but the Vigilantes scored five in the bottom of the inning.

But a throwing error by pitcher Scott Singleton helped Bend score six times to take a 9-5 lead in the fourth.

After a pair of one-out singles, Marcus McGowan topped a ball in front of the mound and Singleton got it but threw the ball well over the head of first baseman Corey Parker.

Both runs scored and McGowan raced to third by the time right fielder Sam Taylor ran down the ball. Singleton (5-9) gave up two more hits in the inning and was removed.

Mission Viejo got two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth and trailed, 10-8.

Bend made two errors in the seventh as Mission Viejo loaded the bases with two outs but Carl Nichols struck out on a with the count full.

“When you make six errors and win,” Gallagher said, “God was with you big time . . . trust me.”

Notes

Corey Parker broke out of a 10-for-46 slump by getting three hits in six attempts. Willie Mosher also had three hits for the Vigilantes. Bend’s Mike Nadeau had two doubles, two triples, drove in five runs and scored three.