BASEBALL / GOLDEN WEST LEAGUE : Gallegos’ Hit Caps Tustin’s Comeback

Aaron Gallegos relished this at-bat.

After two years of watching others hit in his spot, Gallegos was ready to contribute as a hitter and he did when Tustin needed it most. He dumped a two-out, seventh-inning single to put the Tillers over the hump in their 9-8 victory over Westminster Friday at Westminster.

Gallegos’ flair into right did much more than end the Tillers’ climb from a 7-2 deficit. It put the Golden West League championship within reach.

Tustin (16-4-1, 10-1), ranked sixth in Orange County, pulled three games ahead of ninth-ranked Westminster (15-7, 7-4) with four games left. Gallegos, a three-year starter at shortstop who the designated hitter batted for the past two seasons, put the Tillers in sight of the title.

“I just hit the ball and hoped it would get down,” Gallegos said. “I couldn’t even watch. I just put my head down and ran.”

It drove in Dave Hjorth from second to cap a four-run inning, one that should have ended two batters before.

Tustin was a good throw from being beaten when Nick Madrid tapped a pitch back to the mound with the bases loaded. Pitcher Kent Montgomery threw home for one out, but catcher Jeremy Allison’s throw to first was wild. It enabled one run to score, cutting the deficit to 8-6, and left runners on second and third.

Hjorth then lined a 1-2 pitch down the left-field line to tie the score. Gallegos, who is hitting .357, then looped his second hit of the game.

“You have to be really happy for Aaron,” Coach Tim O’Donoghue said. “He has been in a tough situation the past two years. Now he’s getting his at-bats.”

It was a redemption-type of game for the Tillers, who helped Westminster build a 7-2 lead. The Lions scored five runs on wild pitches, four by starter Pepe Vazquez. Tustin third baseman Brennan Burns also made two errors, which enabled three runs to score.

But Vazquez settled down and got through six innings. Burns then secured the victory, pitching the final two innings in relief. He is 3-0 as a reliever this season.

“I think we had our three worst innings this season, then had our three best,” O’Donoghue said.

Westminster was rolling along behind the pitching of Mauricio Berumen, who gave up only one earned run through five innings. Berumen gave up three hits, the last by Rudy Aguilera to open the fifth.

He was relieved by Montgomery and the Lions began back-pedaling. Montgomery gave up six runs, four of which were earned, on eight hits in two innings.

In other Golden West League games:

Servite 6, Saddleback 3 (8 innings)--Greg Shaia went three for three with two doubles and three runs batted in and Rocky Berlan had a double for Servite (13-9, 7-4).

Santa Ana 10, Ocean View 8--Jesus Rodarte went three for three with four runs scored and one RBI, Sefe Sagrero went three for four with three RBIs and Tony de la Riva went two for four, including the game-winning hit, a two-run double in the sixth inning to lead Santa Ana (9-12, 4-7) back from an 8-1 deficit. Ocean View is 8-14, 3-8.