RIPON — Ripon No. 3 batter Nick Price picked a good time to pick up a hit.
With the first two Indians batters reaching four times apiece Monday in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V play-in game with visiting Lindhurst, Price came up to bat in the fifth inning with Ripon leading by seven and the bases loaded. Price proceeded to launch a bases-clearing double to end the game via the mercy rule with a 12-2 win over the Blazers.
“I struggled a little bit in the beginning of the game,” Price said. “But I try to do the same thing every time at the plate. I just stayed with my routine and it worked out in the end.
No. 2 batter Jarrod Andrews was 3 for 3 with a pair of two-RBI doubles, a walk and three runs.
“We knew Lindhurst was in the championship game last year and that it was going to be a tough game,” Andrews said. “We came in, did what we had to do and got the ‘W’ – that’s all that matters.
“The last couple of games I hadn’t been stroking it as well as I was earlier in the season, but I got the two doubles today and I am satisfied with that.”
Leadoff batter Matt DeDonatis scored four times, going 2 for 3 with a walk. He reached on an error in his first at-bat, ducking to avoid an inside pitch when the ball hit the bat and rolled into fair territory. The third baseman reacted late and his throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, allowing Dedonatis to cross the bag safely.
Lindhurst (10-11) scored a run in the first inning and had runners on second and third with one out when Indians pitcher Brandon Scott retired five in a row behind four strikeouts. Scott ended up with 11 strikeouts while allowing just four hits with no walks.
“The beginning was a little shaky but I got into the groove,” Scott said. “During warmups I didn’t through too many strikes and the wind was something, and after that I got used to the ball, the umps and the batters.”
Luke Robinson (double) and Zach Horwood wewre both 2 for 3 for the Indians (15-10).
The wind was unforgiving in Ripon on Monday. On more than one occasion pop flies appeared to have a mind of their own and fly balls to the outfield kept tailing away when on a normal day they would have been easy catches.
“I knew this wind was going to be crazy,” Indians coach Jon Manrique said. “It paid some dividends because we know how out home field plays. Their outfield struggled with some of our balls that were hit deep – the ball carries out here – so it kind of worked to our advantage today.”
Ripon got one run in the first inning and appeared to be a little sluggish to start.
“That has kind of been our M.O. all year – starting slow,” Manrique said. “We were a little messy at first and had to clean some things up. The boys played hard, but I told them that when we go against more quality teams those slow starts can end up biting us.
“We are still working through it. I enjoyed the win today and was proud of the boys, but the slow start definitely has to stop. “
The Indians advance to the nest round where they will face Summerville at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Billy Hebert Field in Stockton.
“We are looking forward to Summerville,” Manrique said. “We faced them last year and were supposed to play them again this year, but it got rained out a couple of times. I know our boys are looking forward to it and I think their boys are too.”