Kenny Cress / Times Sports Writer | Posted: Monday, July 7, 2003 12:00 am
Santa Maria Northside is one win away from a trip to Thousand Oaks.
That is where Northside will go for the Sectional Tournament if it wins in the District 65 Major Division Tournament championship round next Tuesday. Northside defeated Nipomo 5-3 in the District 65 winner/s bracket final at Joe Nightingale School Monday. Next Tuesday, Northside will play at 5 p.m.
All District 65 Major Division tourney games are at Joe Nightingale.
Nipomo will play in the loser/s bracket final next Monday at 5 p.m. The winner of that game plays Northside the next day. If Northside wins, it takes the championship. If it loses, there will be a game the following day at 5 p.m. for the title.
Northside rallied from a 3- 0 deficit to win Monday. It took advantage of three Nipomo errors to score two unearned runs in the fourth inning for the 5-3 win.
Louis Tanore led off with Northside/s only hit in the inning, a single. He and Patrick Vea eventually scored on errors.
In the Northside third inning, Vea led off with a walk. Ruben Peinado doubled him over to third base, and then pitcher Joe Pugner tied the game with a long three-run home run.
Pugner/s hit sailed high over the right-center field fence for his fourth home run of the tourney. This one landed on the fly in someone/s yard across the street from the field.
Nipomo scored a run in the second inning. Pitcher William Frederick singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
In the third inning, Andrew Merino singled for Nipomo with two outs. Frederick followed with a home run over the center field fence.
Pugner and Frederick pitched complete game four-hitters. Vea and third baseman Keith Bendixen, who doubled during the game, helped Northside with good defensive plays.
Vea stopped a hard ground ball on his knees in the fifth inning and threw to first baseman Nick Leyden in time for the third out. Bendixen snared a high hopper in the sixth and threw to Leyden for the second out.
Santa Maria Southside and Santa Maria Westside play at 5 p.m. tonight in the loser/s bracket. The winner plays Lompoc National at 5 p.m. Thursday in another elimination game.
July 8, 2003