San Pasqual takes Warrior Invite

By the fifth inning of the final game of the Warrior Invitational, gusty winds blew San Pasqual pitcher Drew Lomatwa's hat right off his head.

Despite the stormy weather, the Warriors defeated the Borrego Springs Rams 7-5 to claim first place in their tournament Saturday night.

At least, that was the official score.

In a bizarre ending, the umpires called the game due to darkness with Borrego Springs having a runner on second base with two outs and San Pasqual leading 10-9. Since the entire inning wasn't finished, the final score goes back to the last completed inning, when San Pasqual led 7-5 after the fourth.

“The umpires told us they could call it and I was just worried it was going to get worse with the wind,” San Pasqual coach Faron Owl said.

Regardless of the controversial ending, it was a good weekend for the Warriors, who finished 3-1. Antelope also finished 3-1, but San Pasqual beat the Rams 8-4 earlier in the day.

In their win against Antelope, starting pitcher Tino Garcia pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Warriors, allowing four runs on three hits while striking out four but walked eight.

“That's his first time throwing in a game,” Owl said. “If we get him some more time on the mound I think he could be good for us.”

The Warriors got some help from the Rams, who committed six errors in the game.

“It was frustrating seeing the kids missing plays they usually make,” Antelope coach Cody Pelfrey said.

San Pasqual got the jump on the Rams early, scoring three runs off starting pitcher Joe Fajardo in the first inning. However, the Rams bounced back with four runs of their own in the top of the second to take their only lead of the game. A two-run single by Paul Wiseman in the bottom of the third put the Warriors up for good.

Trailing 8-4 in the top of the sixth, the Rams got two runners aboard with one out and Owl decided to bring in Victor Duran to close it even though he pitched a complete game in their 4-1 win over Vincent Memorial on Friday.

“We told him that if we get to the sixth we might need you and asked how his arm felt and he said it was a little sore but he could still go,” Owl said.

Duran slammed the door by recording two outs and completing the win.

The weather was windy and cloudy throughout the game against Borrego Springs and worsened in the final inning.

Lomatwa led the Warriors on offense going 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and two runs.

The Warriors scored a pair of runs in the first and four in the third — thanks to a two-run single by Jason Lomantwa. The Rams cut the deficit to 6-3 in the bottom half of the third, but the Warriors tacked on another run in the fourth. Duran led off the inning with a single and went to third when a pick-off attempt sailed into right field and scored on a Garcia sacrifice fly.

With the game 7-5 after the fourth, the teams tried to get one more inning in before the field was too dark. San Pasqual tacked on three to take a 10-5 lead but the wind picked up and the field got darker with every pitch.

When the Rams scored four runs — two coming off passed balls — Mike Andrews walked and stole second to set up lead-off hitter Michael Manzano. After one pitch from Drew Lomatwa, the base umpire called the game, giving many — including Owl — an ending they've never seen before.

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