Thacher spears Avalon Lancers in final at-bat
by Misty Volaski

It's the moment baseball players dream of. It's also the moment that baseball players dread: Last inning of the game, you're down three runs with the bases loaded and two outs. What do you do?
If you're part of Thacher's boys' baseball team, you pick up the pace and drive in four runs in the bottom of the seventh.
After several missed opportunities and lost chances, it all came down to the last inning, said coach Rich Mazzola.
"We scored in the bottom of the seventh for a great come-from-behind win," he added.
Though Thacher kept getting close to scoring early in the game - more than once striking out with the bases loaded - they were held scoreless by Avalon's Phil Lopez, who pitched the majority of the game for the Lancers.
Then in the seventh, pitcher Charlie Munzig traded his glove for the bat and hit a double. Graham Douds followed with another double to drive in Munzig for Thacher's first run of the game. Catcher Brenton Sullivan added a single before Cameron Robertson drove in Douds. Then Tyler Caldwell came up to bat to drive in Robertson, who tied the game, 3-3.
The Toad's winning run came off the bat of Dan Bartlett, who hit a single which allowed Caldwell to cross home plate for the win.
The final score was Thacher, 4, Avalon, 3.
The win improved Thacher's record to 19-3 and advanced them to the Division VI finals against Grace Brethren, a team the Toads beat 5-4 in regular season play.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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