Pasadena, CA ---- The Orange County Surf defeated the Arroyo Seco Saints 5-1 Saturday afternoon in the second game of a doubleheader after winning the first game 9-4 at Brookside Park.

Saints starter Race Gardner faced Surf starter Matt Moriarty in a matchup that would decide the outcome of the two-game doubleheader.

Gardner could not stem the momentum of the Surf from the first game. He allowed the first runner to reach on an infield single. Then he allowed a hard hit single, which brought runners on the corners. This set up a sacrifice situation for Dimascio who drove in Mulrooney from third. The Saints were lucky that Hussung got caught in a pickle to end the inning, with the Surf up 1-0.

Moriarty entered the bottom of the first inning to face four batters and leave unscathed. Schipper went down on strikes. Aldridge then drew a walk in a long at-bat. Rouse then grounded out to third base for the force-out at second base, afterward Thompson flied out to right field.

Whatever difficulties Gardner found himself in the first inning, he appeared to execute his pitches in the next inning. He got Balliet to ground out to Netz at first base. He struck out the catcher Ramos looking. And then he induced a ground ball out to Warren at second base.

The Saints offense showed life in the bottom of the second inning but the bottom of the order failed to drive in runners in scoring position. Watts sent a fly ball deep off the left-center field wall for a stand-up double. Warren reached on a base hit that Canjur could not cleanly field. With runners at first and second and one out, Briggs was at-bat. He hit a line out to shortstop which turned into a double play that ended the inning, with the Surf still up a run.

The bottom of the Surf’s lineup could not stand a chance against Gardner. Second baseman Gardiner flied out to right field. Then McCarthy struck out swinging. Coscino then struck out looking.

Moriarty appeared to lose command and become shaky in the bottom of the third but he got out of the jam. The Saints wasted an opportunity with the bases loaded and third baseman Rouse at the plate. Rouse flew out to shallow right field, failing to capitalize in the inning. Thompson had another chance and sent a rocket to left field but Mulrooney made a skillful catch to preserve the Surf’s 1-0 lead.
While Gardner was not as sharp as he was in previous innings, his defense provided support. Mulrooney hit a fly ball that was destined to land in the gap in left-center field when Watts made a diving catch for the first out. Canjura was the next batter. He struck out swinging. Although Hussung hit a screamer down the left-field line for a double, Dimascio would end the inning with a ground out to Schipper, preserving the game’s score at 1-0 Surf.

The bottom of the fourth inning was akin to watching the New York Yankees middle of the lineup in game that they are trailing in. That is, sluggers who are not able to use their power to move runners around the bases. And that is just what happened in this inning. The Saint’s designated hitter Conant got a base hit up the middle with ball that took two high bounces. Power hitter Watts struck out looking, taking two big swings and misses. Warren then struck out swinging. Typically, it came down to the Saint’s bottom of the order to drive in Conant from second base. Netz then struck out to end the inning, trailing the Surf by a run.

Balliet singled on a line drive. Ramos grounded into a fielder’s choice play. Rizquez hit a shallow fly ball to Aldridge and Gardiner caught the last fly ball of the inning, holding the score at 1-0 Surf.

The Saints could have scored but could not despite doing everything in their power. The pressure was on third baseman Rouse with runners on first and second and one out. Facing Asuncion, a hard-throwing right hander with a strong presence on the mound, Rouse struck out. Thompson then was at-bat. Togeas ordered a double-steal which was successful, and had the potential to allow Aldridge to score from second on a shallow fly ball to the outfield. But Thompson grounded out to shortstop.

Wheat worked up a sweat in the sixth inning but managed to pitch out of a jam. He allowed to lead-off runners then allowed Canjura to hit a sacrifice fly ball to centerfield, scoring the second Surf run of the game. With runners at first and second after a hit-by-pitch, he struck out Dimascio, limiting the damage.

It was a cruel pattern of putting runners in scoring position but then failing to drive them in. Conant did his job by reaching first on an infield single. Warren singled, advancing Conant to second. What followed was typical and dispiriting, a fly out and ground out to third base, keeping the Saints trailing by two runs and not scoring a single run in the game.

Steele was painful to watch as he allowed runners to reach base safely and load the bases with no one out. Like a horror movie when the villain is just on the other side of the door and the knob turns catching the helpless victim off guard. Gardiner was the gremlin that singled with the bases loaded on a hitter’s count scoring three runs, because of a throwing error to first base, extending the Surf’s lead 5-0. It was deja vu from the first game earlier that day with the Saints in a similar position. It was the time when the game got out of hand, requiring a miracle rally by the Saints.

The Saints finally gave Surf relief pitching trouble when Steele ad runners on first and second. Rouse singled scoring Posivak, preventing a shut-out and reducing the deficit to four runs.

The Saints put together good at-bats but could not effectuate any positive result. Watts began with a lead-off walk, who was pinch-run for by Dylan Hirsch. Warren lined out and then Briggs lined out.

The bottom of the ninth was a critical time that was like an IPO with no bidders at the announcement party leading to a lack of badly needed revenue. The Saints did not get the runs that they needed. Rosales struck out on three pitches for the first out. Hope came, hope went. Posivak singled on a poor throw to first by the Surf. The Schipper singled to right field. Aldridge hit a weak ground ball to first for the unassisted second out. Rouse recorded the final out by hitting a fly ball to center field.