Big rally lifts Savanna past Laguna Hills in wild non-league baseball game

Savanna was led by (from left) Blake Wiley, Adrian Garcia and Nate Eich in the win Tuesday. (PHOTOS: Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone).

Savanna’s baseball team erased a seven-run deficit and rallied to defeat Laguna Hills 8-7 in a non-league game Tuesday afternoon at Savanna.

The Rebels (3-1) beat the Hawks for the first time in their last six meetings, dating back to 2016.

Laguna Hills (2-3) got off to a fast start pounding out five hits and took advantage of four walks to build a 7-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Nate Medina, Joe Skala and Jarren Kozek each had RBI hits in the inning. Medina had two hits in the first inning. 

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Blake Wiley came on in relief with one out in the first inning and pitched the remainder of the game for the Rebels. 

“We tend to use Blake when things aren’t going so great for us,” said Savanna Coach John Baughman. “He came in and really did a great job for us.”

Savanna began to chip away at the lead in their home half of the first, scoring three runs, highlighted by an RBI double by sophomore Nate Eich and an RBI single by senior Josh Eich. 

Savanna’s center fielder David Cabrera’s RBI single in the second cut the Hawks lead to 7-4.

Wiley kept Laguna Hills in check while the Rebels continued their comeback. After the first inning, Wiley gave up only three hits. He struck out three and walked only one batter. Nate Eich singled home Cabrera in the bottom of the fifth inning to trim Laguna Hills lead to 7-5. 

The Rebels then sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth inning and scored three times to take an 8-7 lead. 

Aidan Perez led the sixth inning off with a single to right. Julian Hernandez laid down a bunt but an errant throw by the Hawks third baseman sailed down the right field line. Perez scored and Hernandez ended up at third base. Jesus Lopez then walked and was pinched run for by Andrew Brown. 

Wiley came to bat and struck out, however the ball got away from the catcher (Jarren Kozek) and rolled several feet towards the Rebels first base side dugout. Hernandez initially broke for the plate but stopped halfway down the third base line. Kozek grabbed the ball but his throw to the pitcher covering home plate went wide, allowing Hernandez to score and tie the score at 7-7. 

Brown advanced to third base on the play. Wiley was ruled out on the play (for the first out of the inning), despite the ball getting away from the catcher, because Savanna had a runner at first. Cabrera then grounded out to second but Brown unable to score on the play.

The next two batters, Nate Eich and Josh Eich were both intentionally walked to load the bases. Brown then scored the go ahead run, making it 8-7, on a wild pitch. Adrian Garcia was retired on a pop out to end the inning.

“It’s not a great way to start a game, being down 7-0, but we didn’t give up,” said Nate Eich, who had two doubles, two RBI, and scored a run and was on base three times. “A win like this gives us more confidence for our next game.  

Wiley gave up a one-out single to Noe Garcia in the top of the event inning, but then he got Christian Sigaty to ground into a 6-3 double play to end the game, securing the win for the Rebels. 

“To win a game like that when you’re down 7-0 shows our mental toughness,” said Baughman, who is in his 10th year as the head coach of Savanna. “Our dugout was alive and these kids never quit; they kept grinding.”

Wiley ended up pitching six and two-thirds innings and earning his first win of the season

“I had a feeling that I was going to pitch today and I was ready,” said Wiley,” a senior right hander who threw 87 pitches. “I felt like I was keeping them off balance and my location was good. My fastball, slider and curveball were working well. When my coach came out to talk with me in the top of the seventh inning with one out and a runner on I told him,’ you’re breaking up my rhythm’.”

After Baughman’s visit to the mound, Wiley promptly got the next hitter to ground into a 6-3 double play to end the game. 

Laguna Hills Coach Drew Hillman was disappointed with the loss

“We are better than we are playing,” said Hillman. “We have been beating ourselves. Our problems lately have been self-inflicted, but we’ll turn it around.”

Notes:

—-Hillman is in his 10th year as the Hawks head coach.

—Savanna coach John Baughman indicated that Savanna is seriously considering building a football stadium on campus (the Rebels currently play their home games at Glover Stadium) and that it may be ready as soon as the 2026 football season. 

—-Ex Major Leaguers Al Hrabosky, Don Aase, Marty Castillo, Glenn Hoffman, Greg Matthews, Trevor Hoffman and Ryan Hartman each played their high school baseball at Savanna High. Ex-Rebel coaches Noel Sweeney, Marty Person, Jim Reach, Scott Pickler and Hack Mitchell also reached the MLB level as coaches. 

—-Truett Kordes had two hits, a stolen base, and an RBI and Kozek had had two hits, scored a run, had an RBI and was on base three times for the Hawks. 

—Adrian Garcia had two hits and an RBI for Savanna. “We lost to these guys twice last year, so it feels good that we finally beat them. This win will make us mentally tougher as we get closer to the CIF playoffs.”