PHOTOS: Solid pitching helps Orange edge Tustin in non-league makeup game

Leading Orange to victory Saturday were (from left) Jason Huerta, Myles Kennedy and Daniel Vergara. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Orange High School’s baseball team combined solid pitching and timely hitting to capture a 2-1 non-league victory Saturday over Tustin on a cool but sunny day at Tustin.

The game was moved to Tustin because of playing conditions from Friday’s rain.

To see the slide show, click on the first photo:

“I think we’re at the point of the season where we’re finally starting to tie everything together,” said Orange Coach George Chace. “We’re really playing some good baseball games, every game is really close, which I like, it’s preparing us for some tight league games I think.

“We’re starting to hit our stride, we’re buying into our approach at the plate, our pitchers are really growing on the mound and learning how to throw strikes and compete in the zone consistently and our defense has been playing so good.”

A young Orange team finished 6-19 last season.

“Last year, we started eight sophomores, we got kicked around a little bit by a lot of teams last year, so we have a chip on our shoulder and we’re really attacking every game like we want a little revenge and everything is kind of clicking right now,” Chace said.

Junior Daniel Vergara, considered the ace of the Orange staff, pitched the first 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit, a solo home run by first baseman Daniel Benally leading off the fifth inning. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter. Vergara (2-2) had a perfect game through four innings.

Sophomore Jason Huerta came on to get the save, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He did not allow a hit and ended the game with a strikeout. Orange outhit Tustin 5-1.

“Danny Vergara is our ace, he was lights out today, that was the best I’ve seen him throw all year, he was throwing strikes from the beginning consistently, when he is in the zone early and can get ahead of hitters, it’s very difficult to hit him, his fast ball is the next level pitch with a lot of movement and his change-up is deadly,” Chace said.

“Jason Huerta has come up big this year, he earned a spot of a relief pitcher, he throws strikes, he has a funky curveball and keeps hitters off balance and is always in the zone so I always feel confident when he is on the mound that he’s going to throw strikes and give us a chance to win the game.”

Orange (5-3-1) scored two runs in the third inning. Anthony Zaragoza led off with a single, was sacrificed to second base by Evan Gonzalez and scored on a triple to right center field by Myles Kennedy. Kennedy scored on a wild pitch.

Then it was up to Vergara and Huerta to close the deal.

“We got a great team here, we’re special this year,” said Vergara, who has a 1.61 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. “We’ve grown a lot since last year, last year we just got our butts beat a lot, so this year, we’re really close together and we’re ready this year to go compete. My reliever Jason, he’s one of my good friends, he’s good, I love him behind my back.”

Tustin (2-4-1) had solid pitching from starter Anthony Herrera, who pitched the first five innings and reliever Andrew Lechuga.

But the Tillers continued to struggle offensively under first year coach Wesley Shaw. Tustin has scored only nine runs in seven games and has been shutout four times.

“It’s the story of our whole season, the lack of offense,” said Shaw, former coach at University. “It’s not that we’re not trying to coach them up, it’s just that it’s been annoying that we can’t produce any offense. We pitch well in every one of our games. We have four losses and we’ve given up six runs.

“We got to get runners on base, that’s been very difficult, our guys take too many pitches, number one and we lose our confidence. The kid from Orange threw very well. He’s a quality kid. The highlight for us is we can pitch, we’re effective, we threw 86 pitches today vs. their 107 and we threw 69 strikes.”

Tustin has played one game in the Empire League, battling to a 0-0 tie vs. Calvary Chapel in an eight inning game called due to darkness.

Other teams in the league are Fullerton, Laguna Hills and Ocean View.

Orange is in the Coast League which also includes Savanna, Century, Estancia and Anaheim. The Panthers open league play Tuesday hosting Anaheim at 3:15 p.m. Orange also hosts Estancia Friday at 3:15 p.m.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com