Junior captain Kellan Montgomery can do it all for the Dos Pueblos baseball team.
In last week’s game against San Marcos, he played catcher and hit a home run.
On Saturday against Santa Barbara High, he started on the mound and turned in an impressive 10-strikeout performance in four innings of work, helping the Chargers beat the Dons, 2-1, for their first win of the season.
Ethan Rodriguez drove in both runs for DP on a bases-loaded, two-out single in the fifth inning.
On a full count, Rodriguez hit a line drive past the second baseman to drive in Jackson Greaney and Josh Brennan, giving the Chargers a 2-0 lead.
“I was just trying to do my job,” Rodriguez said. “It was a lot of pressure but ended up working out well.”
Rodriguez is usually the lead-off batter, but DP coach George Hedricks made a strategic move before the game and had him bat third.
“We moved him into that three-spot hoping he would come up with runners on base,” Hendricks said. “Sometimes you plan things out and it actually works out, which is nice.”
Santa Barbara (1-2) scored a run in the sixth and had the bases loaded against DP reliever Jordan Rico. But Rico pitched out of the jam, getting the Dons’ batter to pop out to end the inning.
Rico was credited with the win, tallying four strikeouts and allowing two hits and a run.
Josh Brennan had a double and scored a run for the Chargers (1-2).
Erick Elizalde had two hits for the Dons.
“To come back from two losses and have to play a crosstown rival like Santa Barbara is tough,” Hedricks said. “They (Santa Barbara) had chances in the sixth and seventh inning, so for our pitchers and our team to get out of that, I was really proud of them.”
Santa Barbara starting pitcher Luke Wechsler didn’t allow any hits in his four innings of work.
Dos Pueblos has a busy week ahead going on the road to Arroyo Grande on Tuesday and then playing a rematch with San Marcos on Thursday.
Santa Barbara plays Bishop Diego at home on Tuesday.