LAKE FOREST \u2013 For the second time in two days, pitchers for Beckman and El Toro put on a show. And for the second day in a row, El Toro walked away with a shutout victory over the Patriots.<\/p>\n
Left-hander Max Smith did the honors Wednesday in the Chargers\u2019 5-0 victory in the Sea View League.<\/p>\n
Smith needed only 79 pitches, dispensing of Beckman on a seven-hitter \u2013 three of them in the seventh inning \u2013 with a walk and strikeout. He improved to 4-1 this season.<\/p>\n
Smith\u2019s performance came on the heels of Ethan Barro\u2019s five-hit, one-walk performance Tuesday in a 1-0 victory at Beckman in which Gavin Broesamle hit a leadoff home run against Carter Head.<\/p>\n
El Toro improved to 7-7-1 overall, 3-2 in the Sea View League; Beckman dropped to 6-5-1, 0-2.<\/p>\n
Smith outdueled Beckman\u2019s Kevin Patel, who probably deserved a better fate. Through four innings, Patel had allowed only two hits and faced only two over the minimum.<\/p>\n
Then came a wild sequence in the fifth. He hit Dante Cipulli with one out, and then pinch-runner Isaac Lopez stole second base. It was thievery in the grandest style because Lopez appeared to be out easily on Moe McEvoy\u2019s throw to shortstop Kai Carney.<\/p>\n
When Lopez was called safe \u2013 a photographer at the game photographed him being tagged out by a wide margin \u2013 Beckman coach Kevin Lavalle made his way toward second base while heaving his water bottle over his head about 15 feet; the bottle landed on the back edge of the top of the visitor dugout.<\/p>\n
Before Lavalle got more than a couple of steps over the third-base line, he was ejected by the home plate umpire.<\/p>\n
The call at second base stood. Pinch-runner Garcia took third on Jason Lim\u2019s single to left field and scored when No. 9 hitter Henry Maffetore bunted him home for a 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought, \u2018That\u2019s all I need,\u2019\u201d Smith said. \u201cBig momentum shift. I was very surprised he was called safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Said El Toro coach Mike Gonzalez, who is in his 26th season: \u201cI don\u2019t think the game ever comes down to one play. There are 21 outs, and you have opportunities from the first inning to the seventh. And things do happen for both teams. You just have to be resilient and not let it affect you. But it\u2019s hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
The heart of the Beckman order went down 1-2-3 in the sixth inning \u2013 only the second time it happened \u2013 and then El Toro added four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Adrian Yepez, Cipulli, and Lim had RBIs, with Lim driving home two against reliever Vinnie Montes. Lim was the only Charger with two hits.<\/p>\n
Doug Ireland took over the managing duties in place of Lavalle after the controversial call at second base.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to expect that to happen and adjust,\u201d Ireland said of the pivotal play in the fifth inning. \u201cWe have to put more pressure on them. If we put more pressure on them, maybe we\u2019re getting those calls. That\u2019s the way we have to look at it. When you\u2019re struggling, that\u2019s what you\u2019re talking about. When you\u2019re winning, it never comes up. \u2026 We just have to play better baseball, Beckman baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe umpire explained that he thought the foot got in before the glove,\u201d Ireland added. \u201cI appreciate that they\u2019re doing the best they can, but we didn\u2019t do what we needed to do. We\u2019ve got to score runs.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the second game in a row against El Toro pitching, that didn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n
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