This time, the table setter delivered the main course.
Leadoff hitter Trotter Enright’s RBI double scored Nate Tostado with the game-deciding run in the top of the seventh inning as the Camarillo High baseball team came from behind to edge La Cañada Flintridge-St. Francis, 2-1, Saturday afternoon in the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 championship game at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore.
“He’s a catalyst for us,” Camarillo first-year head coach T.J. Foreman said. “Every single time that man comes up, you just have a lot of confidence that he’s going to get the job done.”
“In one of the biggest moments of our season, he was able to come through to secure the go-ahead RBI.”
Enright went 3 for 4, Boston Bateman allowed one hit and one run in six innings while striking out 11, and Victor Tostado picked up his eighth save of the season to deliver Camarillo’s first section title since 2002.
“It’s all their hard work and their belief in themselves and the team,” Foreman said. “Great pitching performance from Boston. Solid defense behind Boston. Timely hitting when it mattered most. … That’s our game plan every game.”
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For much of the afternoon, the game mirrored Camarillo’s last sectional final appearance in 2007, when Garrett Rau threw 10 shutout innings in an 1-0, 11-inning Division 2 loss to Vista Murietta.
“We wanted to make it a little suspenseful today,” Foreman said with a laugh.
St. Francis scored its lone run in the bottom of the third, before it mustered its lone hit.
After a leadoff walk, sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch, Dane Shepard's sacrifice fly to right field plated pinch-runner Landon Pratt to give St. Francis the lead without the benefit of a hit.
After being handed the slim lead, St. Francis starter Aaron Hernandez and reliever Noah Aguilar-Tanphanich combined to retire the next nine Camarillo hitters, putting the Scorpions on the edge of elimination.
“It’s one thing that I will remember for a very long time,” Foreman said. “The never-give-up in our guys. We just kept sticking to our plan: ‘It will happen … Just be patient.’ ”
Trailing 1-0 in the top of the seventh, Camarillo’s Troy Arenzana drew a leadoff walk and his pinch runner, Lucas Miller, scored to tie the game on Nate Tostado’s RBI double.
“Nate was able to come through with the big hit to tie the game,” Foreman said.
After Victor Tostado bunted him to third, Nate Tostado represented the leading run with Enright coming to the plate.
“You’re made for this moment,” Foreman told Enright in the on-deck circle. We knew he was going to get it done. It unfolded perfectly.”
Victor Tostado worked around a one-out walk to pick up his eighth save of the season.
“We were able to come through,” Foreman said. “It’s something we will all remember for a very long time.”
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Camarillo had plenty of opportunities to take control of the game early, when it left six runners on base in the first three innings, including five in scoring position.
The Scorpions loaded the bases in the top of the first on Enright’s single and walks to Tommy Goodin and Jordan Gutierrez. But St. Francis starter Aaron Hernandez wriggled out the jam with an inning-ending groundout.
Arenzana was hit by pitch and Enright singled with two outs in the top of the second, but St. Francis fielded Blaise Meyleman’s surprise squeeze bunt to escape the jam.
Goodin was stranded on third after slugging a leadoff double to center field in the top of the third.
Camarillo now awaits its seeding in the CIF-State regional playoffs this week.
Joe Curley is a staff writer for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com . For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook .
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Camarillo rallies in last at-bat to capture CIF-SS Division 4 baseball championship
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