Ethan Mendez hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Santa Barbara PONY Baseball 12-Under All Stars to a 10-9 win over Bakersfield in the semifinals of the Bronco Division Sectional Tournament in Bakersfield on Sunday.
Mendez drove in Christian Martinez to send Santa Barbara into the final against Lancaster.
Santa Barbara trailed 9-8 going into the bottom of the seventh. Anthony Venegas drew a lead-off walk, stole second and advanced to third on a Bakersfield error on Martinez’s grounder. Garrison Goldberg hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Venegas for the tying run.
Martinez tagged from first base and was awarded third when an overthrow that was headed toward the Bakersfield dugout was touched by a player on the bench. Mendez followed with his game-winning hit to right field.
Michell Norman, Martinez, Jacob Arias and Venegas each had two hits for Santa Barbara. Diego Vasquez stole two bases.
In the photo are Anthony Venegas, Christian Martinez, Diego Vazquez, Ethan Mendez, Garrison Goldberg, Jacob Arias, Mitchell Norman & Ryder Burge. Coaches are myself, Frank Mendez & Ruben Venegas
Absent from the team this past week – Henry Schneider, Malcolm Gray, Sutera Raring & Seth Kirkpatrick