Freshman Gabe Martinez hit a two-run homer and freshman Michael Luckhurst doubled to drive in the go-ahead run, giving Bishop Diego an 8-4 win in the first game of a doubleheader sweep against Dunn on Saturday.
In the nightcap, Gabe Arteaga overcame a rough start and struck out seven to post his fourth win of the season, a 7-4 victory that gave the Cardinals a sweep and raised their record to 8-1.
The Earwigs scored a run on a single, error, walk and a hit batter and had nobody out. Arteaga regrouped and struck out the side to get out of the jam.
“From there, he settled in and only gave up one more run in the fifth before turning it over to Jackson Haskell with a 7-2 lead,” said coach Nick Katzenstein. “Jackson faced the heart of their order and gave up two runs but sealed the victory by striking out the final two hitters.”
Hamilton Finefrock was 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Martinez doubled and was lifted for pinch runner Buddy Melgoza, who scored on Finefrock’s liner up the middle in the sixth to put the Cards up 7-2.
Katzenstein noted that Dunn’s one through four hitters (John San Jule, Ethan Cloyd, Brandon Lawrence and Cade Ford) were tough outs all day.
“They accounted for 10 of the 14 hits on the day and even their outs were tough outs to get,” Katzenstein said. “Those are about the toughest four guys we will see all year and I’m glad we don’t have to see them any more.”
In the opener, the Earwigs led 2-0 after the first inning, but the Cardinals answered in the second on Martinez’s two-run homer.
Dunn took a 3-2 lead in the fourth and Bishop came back in the fourth. Jake Koeper led off with a double, Martinez singled and Michael Luckhurst drove them in with a double to put the Cardinals ahead for good.
Bishop scored three in the fifth and that was all Haskell need to finish the game and give Finefrock the win.
“Hamilton was calm and kept his composure when things got tough,” said Katzenstein. “He settled down and struck out eight, minimizing opportunities from the Earwigs when they could have opened things up.”
Martinez went 2-3, drove in four runs and scored one. Luckhurst also went 2-3 and had a RBI.