San Luis' Ochoa stymies Yuma High

San Luis starting pitcher Alexander Bazua gave the Yuma High baseball team fits on Thursday.

On Friday, Sidewinder starter Jerry Ochoa didn't make the Criminals' lives any easier.

The sophomore right-hander shut down the Criminals and the Sidewinders beat Yuma High for the second consecutive day with a 12-1 victory on the road Friday.

Making his second start of the season, Ochoa threw 6-2/3 innings, struck out 14 batters, allowed five hits and gave the Criminals trouble with his breaking ball all game.

“We couldn't put a couple hits together and struggled all night. We struggled all night with his curveball,” Yuma High coach Judd Thrower said.

“You tip your hat to the kid. He understood from the day before, watching and studying the chart and knowing what to do,” San Luis coach Cesar Castillo said.

Ochoa (2-0) had something to study from when Bazua threw a complete game 7-1 victory over Yuma High on Thursday.

“I had a pitching chart and I recorded everything they did (Thursday). It helped a lot,” Ochoa said.

The Sidewinders (5-1 overall, 2-0 in AIA power-point games) got plenty of help on offense by sophomore Fernando Fimbres, who went 4 for 4 with a double and two runs scored. Senior Alejandro Aguilar collected two hits and had two RBIs in the win.

San Luis caught a big break in the top of the third inning when Sidewinder senior Jonathan Bazua hit into what appeared to be a 1-4-3 double play to give Yuma High two outs with nobody on. However, it was called that Yuma High sophomore second baseman Vincent Guerrero didn't touch the base on the throw from senior pitcher Daniel Ramirez — meaning San Luis junior Fernando Santiago was safe at second with one out.

Santiago eventually scored on a single by Aguilar, and the Sidewinders tacked on five more runs to boost their lead to 7-0 after three.

“We would have still been in the same boat because we only scored one run,” Thrower said. “You're not going to win many ballgames scoring one run.”

San Luis tacked on a run in the fifth and sixth and scored three in the seventh with some help from some sloppy defense by Yuma High, which committed five errors on the night.

Ochoa struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh but surrendered back-to-back singles to Guerrero and junior Erfrain Garcia before plunking junior Anthony Vito — and ending a bid for a complete game one out short.

“I was a little upset at myself that I couldn't finish the game,” Ochoa said. “I was angry I couldn't finish it, but whatever can help the team.”

“I really didn't want him to go out there but he was throwing well,” Castillo said about bringing Ochoa out for the seventh inning.

Aguilar relieved Ochoa and got Ramirez to hit into a fielders choice to end the game.

San Luis started last season 4-2 overall before finishing three games below .500, but Castillo has liked what he's seen so far this year — especially with Bazua and Ochoa on the mound.

“They got upside and it's a matter of who we are playing and how well they control their pitches. We can go for either one and they each give us an opportunity to keep us in the game.”

Jesse Severson can be reached at jseverson@yumasun.com or at 539-6881. Find him on Facebook.com/YSJesseSeverson.