The number on the back of the orange and green jersey worn by Justin Hernandez to the Visalia players must have been an ominous sign and as large as could be. The number 13.
Hernandez, the starting pitcher for the Porterville 9-10-year-old all-stars, set the tone in Monday night's District 34 Little League Tournament baseball game between Porterville and Visalia at the Burton Ballfields. And while Visalia briefly came back to take the lead, Porterville wouldn't be denied and eventually pulled away for a 12-6 win.
Porterville has been dominant in its two games in the tournament in advancing to the championship round as it opened with a 21-3 win over Exeter. Porterville now finds itself one win away from winning the district title as it will next play in the championship round at 7 p.m. Thursday at Burton.
“A lot of talent out here,” said Porterville coach Frank Rodriguez about his team. “They're a very positive group. They play together. They play for each other.”
Rodriguez also said they're playing for 10-year-old Kenny Webber who played about halfway through the Porterville Little League season before having to withdraw. Rodriguez said Webber is at Valley Children's Hospital with leukemia.
“He would have been out here,” said Rodriguez about Webber being on the all-star team. “We have him on our mind. We're playing for him.”
While Hernandez set the tone, Julian Guzman applied the finishing touches as he pitched the last 2 2/3 innings to pick up the win. He also came up with the big hit, a 2-run triple, when Porterville broke open the game with a six-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 12-5 lead.
Hernandez had opening game jitters as he walked the first batter on four pitches and he eventually reached third with no outs. But Hernandez got a strikeout and catcher Ayden Vasquez tagged out the runner from third trying to score on a wild pitch.
Porterville took a 2-0 lead on Cruz Ojeda's two-run single to left in the bottom of the first. After two walks and a single in the third, Visalia scored on a groundout to cut the lead to 2-1. After the groundout, Hernandez was relieved after striking out five over 2 2/3 innings.
Visalia went onto take a 3-2 lead on a bizarre play when they scored two runs on a bad hop, infield single.
But Porterville responded with four runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-3 lead. Luis Mosqueda singled during the rally and Ojeda eventually beat out an infield single to bring home a run to tie the score 3-3. Andrew Sanchez eventually hit a two-run single to give Porterville a 6-3 lead.
Visalia scored two runs in the fourth on the strength of two errors and a wild pitch to cut the lead to 6-5. Guzman came on with a runner at third and one out to protect the lead. Guzman struck out a batter and then Vasquez threw to Guzman who tagged out the runner from third trying to score on a wild pitch to end the inning. Guzman ended up striking out three through 2 2/3 innings.
Porterville went onto to break open the game in the bottom of the fourth. Ojeda had another 2-run single to give Porterville a 9-5 lead.
After Hernandez reached on an infield single, Guzman followed with his 2-run triple to the left centerfield gap. Andrew Sanchez then hit an RBI single to give Porterville a 12-5 lead.
Ojeda had a huge game for Porterville with three hits and five RBI. Sanchez had two hits and three RBI, Hernandez had two hits and Julian Bedolla added a hit for Porterville.
“This is a great bunch of kids right here,” Rodriguez said. “It's just a great team to coach.”
