REV rallies in eighth for huge league win

REDLANDS – There were five runs scored, all in the eighth inning. There were three hit batsmen. There was a baserunner plunked in the helmet by an errant throw. And there were hurt feelings, the result of bad behavior.

When it was over Tuesday, Redlands East Valley had rallied for three runs in the final inning for the second consecutive day to again stun Cajon, 3-2.

Cajon seemed to be in great shape when it broke a 0-0 tie with two runs in the top of the eighth. A run-scoring triple by Gavin Garcia and an RBI single by Zak Flinn did the damage against REV reliever Cash Dabbs.

REV’s game-winning rally began inauspiciously. Garcia struck out Eric Rivera for the first out. It was the last out Cajon got on this star-crossed day.

Griffin Cunningham walked, then Connor Towns doubled to put men on second and third. Garcia hit Aiden McCartin with the first pitch thereafter, angering the REV side.

Things got worse for Cajon. Cleanup hitter Ty Whittle followed with a chopper to third base and the throw went home for an attempted force. But the ball nailed baserunner Cunningham in the helmet and bounded away, allowing two runs to score. Tie game.

“I was just excited to get the boys back up and to tie the game,” Whittle said. “I wanted to do anything to help us win. It felt amazing – we got the dub, and we’re back in first place.”

Said Cunningham of getting hit in the head, “It wasn’t a very pleasant feeling; it kind of hurt. I had adrenaline going at the moment, so I didn’t really feel it. I’m just glad we got the win. Using my head like I did, I think my math teacher will be real proud.”

Cunningham said his math teacher, Scott Washburn, is a big baseball fan and attended the game.

There were still two runners on base and only one out. Two walks later, REV players were rushing to congratulate Alan Gibbons whose bases-loaded walk ended the contest.

Following the game, tempers flared – prompting the umpires to talk with REV coach Chris Paterson, Cajon coach Robert Grande and REV athletic director Chad Blatchley.

Tempers aside, it was another huge victory for REV (13-8 overall, 6-2 league) which remains tied with Citrus Valley (11-9, 6-2) for first place and takes a one-game lead over Cajon (16-4, 5-3) and Yucaipa (13-7, 5-3) in the Citrus Belt League standings.

“We’ve been playing one-run games all year,” Paterson said. “We have a lot of fight in us, and we don’t think we’re out of it until it’s over.”  

REV, out of 21 games, has played 10 one-run games, winning five of them.  

Cajon’s Grande took the loss philosophically.

“If you’re around baseball long enough, you’re going to see some weird things,” Grande said. “Resiliency is the key. We’re going to just have to put our heads down and learn from it and get better.”

REV and host Cajon meet again at 4 p.m. Thursday in another important league game.  

The victory was REV’s sixth in succession.  

Before the eighth-inning fireworks, REV’s Azael Hernandez and Cajon’s Marcus McQueen hooked up in a tense pitching duel. Hernandez pitched six innings and allowed four hits, struck out five and walked one.

McQueen tossed seven innings, allowing four hits, striking out five and walking three.

“That was his first start and only the second time he’s thrown all year,” Paterson said of Hernandez. “He went out there and manned up and really did a great job for us.”

Cunningham, a transfer from Upland High, led REV with two hits and Towns, Gibbons, and Rivera had one hit apiece.

Flinn and Contreras had two hits apiece for Cajon and Garcia and McQueen had one hit each. Garcia and Flinn each knocked home a run.