By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A last-minute scratch to the lineup left East High baseball coach, Kyle Crandall, having to replace his third baseman and clean up hitter when Miguel Matos rolled his ankle prior to Thursday’s RCAC matchup.
Crandall’s Eagles brushed off the setback and rolled to their sixth win in as many outings.
Pedro Garcia hurled an inning and two-thirds of scoreless ball and sparked a five-run fifth inning with his second home run of the season as East beat Edison Tech, 11-1.
“We played a good defensive game,” Crandall said. “I thought our pitchers did pretty good. Our bats didn’t come alive until late, but I guess better late than never.”
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Garcia took the mound with two on, one out and East clinging to a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning.
After surrendering a base hit to the first batter he faced, the junior left-hander ended the threat when a runner was erased on the base paths and he struck out the final batter of the inning.
He fanned the side in order in the fifth and final inning of the shortened game.
“Coming in and closing the door, I thought he did a great job getting out of that pressure situation and then the next inning just really shutting them down,” Crandall said. “I was pleased to see him come in relief. That’s the first time he’s come in relief this year. Every other game he’s started. It was good to be able to see him do that.”
Pedro García retires the side in order in the fifth. pic.twitter.com/ApLUYqIwbU
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 14, 2022
Garcia helped put the game out of reach with a two-run shot in the fifth inning.
“That was a huge hit,” Crandall noted. “His bat’s really kinda coming alive.”
Being set down on strikes in his previous two at-bats served as motivation for Garcia who turned on the first pitch he saw in his third trip to the plate.
“I felt like after I struck out, I had to focus and make contact,” he said. “I hit it where I wanted.”
The effort on the mound was his first save of the year.
“I went out there to do my job and finish it,” Garcia said.
Michael Conrow started and worked four and a third to pick up the win. The senior right-hander struck out five and allowed one run on three hits and a walk.
Emille Diaz plated Victor Arroyo with a one-out single for the game’s first run in the bottom of the first. Diaz eventually scored from third when Dion Mather reached on an error and the Eagles went on to grab a 3-0 lead.
Edison made it a 3-1 game in the fourth when Omar Cruz connected on a one-out single that scored Jose Alvarez.
Alvarez had two hits in the game.
Omar Cruz sends a flare into center to get @EDTechAthletics on the board. pic.twitter.com/xytOuFm5Kc
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 14, 2022
Conrow drove in two with a single and later scored when East pushed the lead to 6-1 in the fourth.
Arroyo walked twice an reached base times. The senior shortstop stole four bases and scored two runs. Mather went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and a run scored.
Michael Conrow plates two with a two-out single. pic.twitter.com/r9nBkZh4gX
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 14, 2022
Kyle Markham singled, walked and scored on Garcia’s round-tripper. Tomas Hernandez singled, reached on an error and scored twice. JJ Smith singled and scored in the game.
Michael Cummings started and threw 4.1 innings for Edison. The right-hander struck out six.
“Their pitcher did a really good job,” Crandall said. “He kept us off-balance. They came here ready to play. They weren’t scared.”
David Reinoso ranges into foul territory for the second out in the bottom of the third. @EDTechAthletics pic.twitter.com/Z7rP1WcnPs
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) April 14, 2022
The game was a first for Crandall in his 20th season as head coach at East as he faced one of his former players in first-year Edison coach, Diego Ortiz.
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