TRAC Baseball Roundup: Clovis Pulls Out High-Scoring Affair

Clovis second baseman Eli Henderson jogs to first base after drawing a walk in Monday’s 15-11 win over Redwood. (Gabriel Camarillo/Clovis Roundup)

There aren’t many box scores that will astound you like the one from Clovis-Redwood on Monday.

Redwood recorded 11 hits, scored 11 runs and committed one error.

They lost to a Clovis team who only had five hits and committed five errors — but still scored 15 runs.

A big reason Clovis came away with a 15-11 victory on Monday — its batters drew 17 walks.

“17 walks is just as good as getting a hit,” said Clovis head coach Chris Patrick. “Our guys found a way on base and kind of took what [Redwood] gave us. If they’re not staying in the zone, we have to be disciplined enough to lay off of it.”

Clovis shook off Redwood’s four-run first inning when eight of the Cougars’ first nine batters reached base. Redwood starter Ethan Garcia surrendered eight walks, three of which drove in a run. A passed ball also scored a Clovis run in the bottom of the first inning.

Logan Sumter broke a 4-4 tie when he lined a two-run single into right field off Garcia. Clovis added one more run in the first with Eli Henderson’s sacrifice fly. 

Garcia did not get out of the first inning; the Long Beach State signee pitched two-thirds of an inning and surrendered seven earned runs.

Redwood tied the game at 7 with two runs in the second and another in the third, the latter of which knocked Clovis starter Adan Gonzalez out of the game.

Redwood designated hitter Bo Rico broke the tie with a two-run single off reliever Colton Karle, giving the Rangers a 9-7 lead.

Clovis retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Henderson scored on a wild pitch, Brady McAvoy lined a triple over the right fielder’s head, driving in a pair of runs and giving the Cougars a 10-9 lead.

McAvoy’s performance on Monday — 1-for-2, 4 RBIs — is exactly why Patrick will keep the sophomore in the lineup, even if the catcher plays out of position.

“We have a couple outfielders that are playing football [Andrew Dowie and Jaden Carillo] so we’ve asked him to play outfield because we really need his bat in the lineup,” Patrick said. “He’s still learning how to play outfield, but he had a good night for us.”

Senior Brayden Nicholson moved from third base to the mound and threw a scoreless fifth inning, the only inning where Redwood did not score.

Nicholson also had a solid day at the plate, reaching base all four times he batted (1 hit, 3 walks) and scoring three times.

“That’s just what our team does,” Nicholson said. “We battle back. Everyone is doubting us and we are just going to keep grinding until the last pitch is done.”

Clovis added five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, three of them on passed balls or wild pitches. McAvoy drove in another on a sacrifice fly and Tommy Mariscal hit an RBI single.

Redwood scored two runs in the top half of the sixth, but Nicholson struck out back-to-back batters to end the shortened game. Umpires told both coaches that the game would be called in the middle of the sixth, due to time limits with the Fresno Easter Classic.

“Sometimes you have to win ugly,” Patrick said, “and that was about as ugly as it could come.”

Clovis (2-0) plays Liberty-Madera at home on Tuesday.

San Joaquin Memorial jumps on Clovis West miscues

Before San Joaquin Memorial recorded its first out, Clovis West loaded the bases and looked primed for a fast start against the state’s 15th-ranked ballclub.

Wyatt Gibson drove in a run on a walk. Natham Baeza hit into a double play for an RBI.  Logan Pontecorvo legged out an infield single to drive in a third run and give Clovis West a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

“Our start was a momentum-changer,” Baeza said. “I was hyped.”

But Memorial answered quickly, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first. The Panthers never looked back, scoring two more in the fourth and five again in the fifth to defeat the Golden Eagles, 12-3.

Memorial sent Charlie Monterrosa to the mound in the second inning, and the junior silenced Clovis West’s bats for five scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and no walks while striking out eight.

The Panthers’ bats were active in the first inning, but not without help from a trio of Clovis West defensive miscues.

“You can’t give a quality team like [Memorial] multiple opportunities,” said Clovis West head coach Kevin Patrick. 

After Seth Gonzalez doubled with one out and moved to third on a passed ball, Mikey Bell reached base on a fielding error by the first baseman Gibson. Gonzalez scored on the play.

Tanner Sagouspe was hit by a pitch. Bell attempted to steal third during the next at-bat, but catcher Tyler Patrick’s throw was off-line. Bell scored on the error and Sagouspe advanced to third.

Bryce Padilla then laid down a safety squeeze to bring Sagouspe home, tying the game at 3 apiece.

Memorial took the lead when, after Anthony Giannetta walked, Gibson committed the third fielding error for the Golden Eagles that inning. Padilla and Giannetta came across to give the Panthers a 5-3 lead.

“It came down to just errors,” Baeza said. “We just need to clean that up and play catch out there.”

Clovis West starting pitcher Chase Barsotti settled down to pitch scoreless second and third innings, but a passed ball scored two more Panthers in the fourth.

Dylan Senneway relieved Barsotti in the fifth. Memorial tacked on five more runs — Eddie Saldivar hit a 2-run double, and Seth Gonzalez, Mikey Bell and Tanner Sagouspe each hit an RBI single.

Clovis West (1-1) avoided a run-rule ending, but still suffered its first loss of the 2021 season. They’ll play Hoover at home on Tuesday.

“We’ve got a lot of new faces in the lineup this year, so there’s going to be some ups and downs, but I was very proud of the way we came out in that first inning and put up a three spot,” Patrick said.

Maeza, Jacob Haros and Cayden Munster are the only Golden Eagles with varsity at-bats prior to 2021. 

San Joaquin Memorial (2-1) will play at Chowchilla on Tuesday.

Buchanan routs Edison in first road game of season

Buchanan starter Colton O’Toole twirled four innings of two-hit ball and his offense picked him up by scoring 13 runs against Edison on Monday. Buchanan defeated Edison, 13-0 in a run-rule shortened game.

Austin Young led the Bears with 4 RBIs and hit 2-for-3 on the night. Cade Twitty also hit the Bears’ first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field.

Evan Wallace, JP Acosta and Corbin Ybarra all had two hits apiece in a strong offensive showing for Buchanan.

Buchanan (3-0) plays Hanford at home on Tuesday.

Clovis North moves to 2-0 against Reedley

Columbia commit Cole Fellows hit 3-for-3 with a double and triple, powering the Broncos to a 7-3 win over Reedley on Monday.

Cooper Pommenville added two RBIs to continue his hot start to the season. 

Jayden Hertel picked up the win on the mound for Clovis North, who plays Redwood at home on Tuesday.

Central powers way to win over Madera

Dean McCurley hit 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs, swinging a big bat in Central’s 7-2 win over Madera on Monday.

Ryan Spalliero also drove in two RBIs and Aaron McCurley added another RBI as well.

Nate Nino picked up the win for the Grizzlies, striking out six through five innings of work. Central (2-0) continues the Fresno Easter Classic at Bullard on Tuesday.

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Gabriel Camarillo has written for the Clovis Roundup since August 2019 and follows high school athletics, Fresno State football and former Clovis Unified student-athletes. Gabe also writes for The Collegian as a staff sports writer and works at One Putt Broadcasting as a board op for 940 ESPN radio.