By Paul Gadbois - redbluffbaseball.com
Tuesday, April 23 - vs. Paradise
The Red Bluff varsity baseball team responded to Paradise's two-run first with
six runs in three innings, rebounding from Friday's loss with a 9-5 victory over
visiting Paradise Tuesday night.
Ben Redfield cruised through five innings in just 75 pitches, shutting the
Bobcats down after giving up a first-inning home run. He exited with a
comfortable 8-2 lead after allowing just two runs on two hits, walking two and
striking out three. He is now 7-0 on the year.
Red Bluff rallied in the bottom of the first to go ahead 4-2, starting with a
leadoff hit from Daniel Zelwick. Zelwick stole second and advanced along with
Josh Penne, who walked, on a passed ball. Lucas Sandow smacked a two-run single
and Simon Villalvazo bombed a ball over the fence to break the tie.
Sandow spanked a double in the second inning to start a two-out offensive.
Villalvazo was walked intentionally out of fear or to set up a force play at any
base, but their motivations were made moot either way as Lance Zazueta pounded a
two-run double to make it 6-2 in favor of the Spartans.
Stephen Collins drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the third to continue
pouring it on. Zelwick doubled and went to third on a wild pitch, which scored
Collins. Zelwick later scored on a passed ball.
Villalvazo didn't see another strike after his circuit trot. He drew bases on
balls in the three subsequent plate appearances, the last of which helped Red
Bluff score its final run in the sixth. He and Zazueta walked successively and
after Villalvazo's courtesy runner, Chris Jones, was caught stealing third,
Redfield re-entered the game and belted a RBI double to plate Zazueta.
Robby Annis relieved Redfield in the sixth and struggled to find the strike zone
after a two-out error was committed in the outfield. Three unearned runs came
after an error, walk and hit batsman. Villalvazo took the mound with the bases
loaded and walked the Bobcats' eighth and ninth hitters, which scored two of
Annis' baserunners, but he struck out three of the next four hitters to close it
out before it became a save situation.
The Spartans (7-3 EAL, 17-4) have a doubleheader at Enterprise on Friday and
play Pleasant Valley in Chico on Tuesday.
Paradise 200 003 0 — 5 3 1
Red Bluff 422 001 x — 9 10 2
RED BLUFF IP H R ER BB SO
Redfield (W, 7-0) 5 2 2 2 2 3
Annis 0.2 1 3 0 1 0
Villalvazo 1.1 0 0 0 2 3
Top hitters:
Zelwick 2X4, 2B, SB, 2 R; Sandow 2X3, 2B, SB, 2 RBI, 2 R; Villalvazo 1X1, HR, 2
RBI, 2 R; Zazueta 2X3, 2B, SB, 2 RBI, R; Stanton 1X2, SB; Redfield 2X4, 2B, RBI