Sports
Hollywood High Baseball Walks Off with Win
Alan Ruiz's bases-loaded hit in the 11th completes a dramatic sweep of Los Angeles High.
isn't even old enough to get a learner's permit yet. Beating his school's archrival with some dramatic walk-off heroics, however, is well within his capabilities.
Ruiz's deep drive over the short fence in right field for a single was the difference in the baseball team's dramatic 4-3 win over Los Angeles on Friday night at Hollywood High.
The win completed a home-and-home sweep of the Romans, moving the Sheiks (13-5 overall, 8-2 in league) into sole possession of second place in the standings. They have won seven of eight games since their second loss to Maywood Academy.
Ruiz powered the Sheiks offense, reaching base in five of his six plate appearances. He finished a homer short of the cycle.
Not bad for a freshman.
"He's hit in big spots all year," Hollywood coach said. "You don't even think he's a freshman, and then you realize, 'Oh man, he's a ninth-grader.' For the next four years, the sky's the limit."
Ruiz was the hitting hero, but the victory was hardly a one-man effort. Starting pitcher gave the team a huge lift with nine innings of standout work. He allowed three runs (all in one inning) on eight hits, striking out nine and walking just one.
"I felt good after the seventh and thought I was going to get pulled out, but I wanted to keep going," Chavez said. "I thought I could have even went at least one more, maybe get the win."
In the top of the 10th, Chavez was replaced by , who pitched two scoreless innings to get the win.
Early in the game, it didn't appear that Hollywood would need extra frames to beat its rival. Onate roped a two-out, two-run double in the first inning to open the scoring, and Ruiz hit a booming triple to center, then scored on a wild pitch in the third.
The 3-0 lead held up until Chavez ran into trouble in the sixth and the Hollywood defense suffered its sole letdown in an otherwise strong effort. Chavez issued his only free pass to start the sixth, walking No. 2 hitter Jesus Delgado. Sheiks shortstop then made an ill-advised throw on a slow chopper by Kevin Munoz, firing it over Ruiz's head at first to put runners on second and third with no outs.
Cleanup batter and Romans starting pitcher Brian Canas followed with a base hit up the middle, then moved up to second when center fielder overthrew the cutoff man. The mistake proved costly when the next batter, Jorge Martinez, lifted a fly ball over the fence in right for a ground-rule double that forced in Canas and tied the game 3-3.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the 11th. Designated hitter led off the inning with a sharp single to right. After a strikeout, catcher lofted a routine fly ball to right that was dropped, moving pinch-runner to second. After another strikeout, Los Angeles High coach Julio Colon decided to intentionally walk Chavez for the second straight time, much to Cauley's surprise in the third-base coaching box.
With the bases loaded, the stage was set for Ruiz. On the third pitch of the at-bat, the first baseman unloaded on a fastball, sending it over the right field fence, just to the right of the designated home-run marker. Losing pitcher Munoz, who was in his fifth inning of relief, tossed his glove in frustration as Lopez trotted home from third and the Sheiks mobbed Ruiz between first and second.
"I was just trying to keep my composure the whole time, not try to do too much, just put the ball in play," Ruiz said. "I felt the vibrations in my hand, I knew it was gone."
Two weeks ago, Hollywood looked like an also-ran after being easily swept in a home-and-home series against Maywood.
Maywood remains the clear favorite with a 13-0 league record, but back-to-back one-run wins over the Romans have positioned the Sheiks as legitimate contenders again.
"We've turned the corner," Chavez said. "We had our heads down after those (Maywood) games, but we let it go and left it in the past."
Afterwards, a beaming Cauley tried to put the victory in perspective.
"That was an amazing game," the sixth-year coach said. "That was the most complete team effort I've seen from us. It's the kind of game you want to have. With that being our biggest rival it was just unbelievable."
As for Ruiz's feeling after the most dramatic hit of his life? He'll have to get back to you on that one.
"I can't describe it."
