(Mesa, AZ) The Buccaneers salvaged a three-game set against the Westcliff Warriors with a rollercoaster 10-9 win Saturday afternoon at Skyline High School. The Warriors still take the weekend series 2-1 after sweeping a double header from the Buccaneers on Friday.
Buccaneers head coach Kelly Stinnett gave the start to Shaun Atamanchuk and the afternoon heat proved challenging to the right hander. The first two hitters reached on a single and a walk, then both were quickly cashed in on a three-run home run by the Warriors’ Ulysses Duran.
The Bucs answered back in the bottom of the first, and emphatically so. Chris Amador reached on an error to open up the inning, followed by a double by Aaron Stinnett. Amador then scored on a wild pitch, and Austin Chouinard cashed in Stinnett on an RBI single. Joaquin Martinez and Jason Newton were driven in shortly after by a double from Connor Hommes.
The Bucs added one in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Chouinard, but both defenses locked down scoring otherwise until the fifth inning, in which both teams tacked on two. A solo home run apiece from Hommes and Travis Moore gave the Bucs their two-run lead back entering the sixth.
Atamanchuk was sent out for his sixth inning in the top half, but the decision was quickly regrettable as the Warriors offense got to work. Each of the first three batters reached, including an RBI double by the Warriors’ Eddie Rivero. Braeden Levandowski was unable to limit the damage as he relieved Atamanchuk, giving up an RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly to consecutive hitters, giving the Warriors their first lead of the game.
The Bucs came to bat in the seventh after a quiet bottom of the sixth, with chaos rearing its ugly head towards the Warriors. Martinez and Moore reached on a single and a walk, respectively, bringing Newton to the plate. It appeared for a moment that the Warriors had a double play in order, as Newton grounded one hard to the Warriors’ first baseman Duran, but Duran sailed the throw over the shortstop’s head, allowing both Martinez and Moore to score on the play.
Taking the slim lead into the eight, Diego Jordan was called upon as the set-up man, but unfortunately allowed a run when Rivero of the Warriors scored on a wild pitch, tying the game at nine. It could have been worse for Jordan, however, as two runners were left stranded when he struck out Keith Hale to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the eighth, it appeared the Bucs would go quietly into a tied ninth after Amador and Stinnett flew and grounded out to open the frame. However, it was Super Sushi to the rescue, as Chouinard sent the Bucs’ bench into pandemonium with a home run to deep center field.
Returning to form after a rough start to the season, Diego Bustillos was called upon to close the game in the ninth. Sitting down the three hitters in quick succession, including a strikeout for out number two, Bustillos and the Bucs ended the weekend on a high note with a barn-burning 10-9 victory.
Chouinard and Hommes were the stars offensively, with each finishing with a home run and three RBI. Amador and Martinez each had two hits, while Moore scored twice.
It’s a busy week for the Buccaneers as they return to action on Tuesday afternoon at noon for a conference makeup game against Simpson University. Then, the Bucs head down to Tucson on Wednesday to take on Valley City State University in non-conference action in the Tucson Invitational games, before returning to weekend conference play against Providence Christian College. Friday, March 17 will be a single game starting at 1 p.m., then Saturday, March 18 is a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m. All three of those contests will be played at Skyline High School.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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