30 Mar Pittsburg Baseball Rallies in Sixth, Defeats Armijo 6-2 for Fifth Straight Win

Santino Valle takes an at-bat during the Pittsburg High Pirates’ victory Saturday of Armijo (Fairfield) High. On the mound, he allowed one run and two hits while striking out nine in five innings.

Story and photos by Chijioke Onyeagucha

Pittsburg High broke open a tight, low-scoring game in the sixth inning, capitalizing on defensive miscues and small-ball execution to defeat Armijo High School of Fairfield 6-2 in a nonconference matchup Saturday.

Locked in a 3-2 game entering the bottom of the sixth, the Pirates took advantage of a balk, a walk and a costly throwing error to score three runs and create separation.

“We just got to find that moment to kind of break the game open,” Pittsburg coach Marco Cartagena said. “Once we felt like they were unable to play good catch, we just kept putting pressure on them.”

Both teams leaned on strong starting pitching early, keeping offenses in check through the first five innings. Pittsburg senior Santino Valle set the tone on the mound, allowing just one run over five innings while striking out nine and limiting Armijo to two hits.

Cartagena credited Valle’s consistency and experience for anchoring the effort.

“Santino has just been a four-year guy for us,” Cartagena said. “He puts the work in, and when he’s pitching, we feel like we have a chance to win.”

Pittsburg struck first with a run in the opening inning, but Armijo answered in the second to tie the game. The Pirates regained the lead in the fourth before Armijo cut the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the sixth.

That momentum was short-lived.

Leading off the bottom half, Daniel Romero singled to spark the Pirates offense. A balk by Armijo pitcher Nick Isayi moved runners into scoring position before Pittsburg continued to apply pressure.

After a walk loaded the bases, LeJohn Thomas laid down a bunt that brought home two runs. An errant throw to first base allowed Thomas to reach safely and advance to third, turning the play into a game-changing sequence.

“It’s just playing our game,” Cartagena said. “Putting the bunt down, making them execute, making them play catch.”

Avi Herndon followed with an RBI single to score Thomas and extend the lead to 6-2, giving Pittsburg full control heading into the final inning.

David Mejia closed out the game for the Pirates, striking out two over two innings of work. After a brief adjustment period, Mejia said he found his rhythm once Pittsburg built a cushion.

“Once we got those runs, I was able to just throw strikes and get into a flow,” Mejia said. “You don’t have to be perfect. You just go up there and throw strikes.”

Pittsburg totaled five hits on the day, with Valle leading the way offensively as well, going 2 for 2 with two runs scored and an RBI. Romero and Thomas each contributed key hits during the decisive sixth inning.

Despite limited offensive production early, the Pirates’ ability to manufacture runs proved to be the difference.

“We struggled a little bit hitting early,” Cartagena said. “They had a really good pitcher, but once we adjusted and started playing small ball, we were able to put pressure on them.”

With the win, Pittsburg extends its winning streak to five games and improves to 7-3 on the season. The Pirates will look to carry that momentum into their next matchup against Hercules High on Tuesday before league play begins.

Armijo falls to 7-10 with the loss.