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Sultana’s Robert Vindiola, left, tries to tag out Apple Valley’s Kyle Covarrubio during Thursday’s game.
Reneh Agha / Staff Photographer
Sultana's Mike Mierish pitches against Apple Valley on Thursday.
Reneh Agha / Staff Photographer
Sultans sit alone atop MRL standings
Sultana beats Apple Valley to clinch league title
APPLE VALLEY — Sultana’s baseball team took advantage of some sloppy Apple Valley defense to clinch the Mojave River League title with a 6-4 win over the Sun Devils on Thursday afternoon.
The Sultans scored two unearned runs in the first inning and never trailed. It was a game that was filled with errors as each team committed three, leading to a combined six unearned runs.
With two outs in the first, Trever Haas doubled to left-center field. Ryan Wolf swung at a third strike, but was safe at first when the ball got away from catcher Patrick Chilton and Miguel Martinez dropped the throw.
Robert Vindiola then tripled down the right-field line, scoring both runners.
Apple Valley got an unearned run in the bottom of the first as Kyle Covarrubio walked, stole second, went to third on an error by third baseman Wolf and came home on a sacrifice fly by Nic Morentin.
Sultana (18-6, 9-3 MRL) took a 3-1 lead with an unearned run in the fourth, thanks to a one-out single to center by Wade Hightower that scored Jeremy Mireles from second.
Apple Valley (3-18, 1-11 MRL) scored a two-out unearned run in the bottom of the fourth as an errant throw by Sultana second baseman Vindiola scored Robert Cha from second base.
Sultana added two more in the fifth as Wolf’s single to center brought in Patrick Aiken from third and Kenny McMurray from second.
Apple Valley got within two runs at 5-3 on back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the fifth by Kyle Self and Covarrubio.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Sun Devils had a golden opportunity to at least tie the game when they loaded the bases with no one out on three straight singles by Chilton, Francisco Lechuga and Jeremy Brodie.
But Shane Swaim induced Self to ground into an RBI force out, then got out of the inning with a ground ball double play off the bat of Covarrubio.
Sultana added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice bunt by Vindiola, scoring Wolf from third.
Swaim then retired the Sun Devils 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh for the championship.
“We prepared both mentally and physically for the game,” Sultana coach Dave Hill said. “The last time we faced (Apple Valley starter Cha) he no-hit us. He has proved himself to be one of the best in our league.”
“We played hard,” Apple Valley coach Scott Chilton said. “We struggled all year with just about any kind of thing a team can suffer and today was another disappointment.”
Cha struck out seven in a complete game.
Sultana’s Mike Mierish pitched the first four frames, striking out two. Mierish was replaced after Self’s leadoff double in the fifth. Reliever Kyle Sprague was greeted by Covarrubio RBI double to left-center.
Swaim was given the ball in the bottom of the sixth with the bases loaded and got out of the jam.
Vindiola was 1-for-2 with a triple, a stolen base and three RBIs for Sultana. Wolf was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three stolen bases, and Hightower went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
For Apple Valley, Covarrubio was 1-for-3 with a run scored, a stolen base and an RBI. Patrick Chilton was 2-for-3.
Sultana 200 120 1 — 6 6 3
Apple Valley 100 111 0 — 4 6 3
Mierish, Sprague (5), Swaim (6) and Hightower; Cha and Chilton. WP — Mierish (6-0); LP — Cha. 2B — Self, Covarrubio (A) Haas (S). 3B — Vindiola (S).
