In need of a win, Anzar High manager Andrew Barragan called upon the services of ace Devon Parish, and the junior hurler did not disappoint.
Pitching 5.1 innings of work, in a must win game against visiting Anchorpoint Christian, Parish allowed one run on two hits while striking out eight.
It wasn't flawless - Parish balked in Anchorpoint's only run in the sixth - but it was more than enough as the Hawks staved off the Warriors 4-1 Tuesday in San Juan Bautista.
"That was huge," Barragan said of the win. "It gave my boys confidence that we can play with those guys. We can compete with those guys, and win.
"I can get in their ear the whole time, but they need to figure it out themselves, and now they truly do know what we've been talking about."
Anzar's victory, meanwhile, not only supplies it with a 5-2 record in the Coastal Athletic League, but an 8-8 overall record - the most wins in Anzar school history, Barragan said.
Furthermore, it knots Anzar and Anchorpoint at two losses apiece, likely supplying the victor of Thursday's match-up with the CAL title.
"That sets up a big showdown on Thursday," Barragan said.
An Anzar win would give the Hawks the league championship. A loss wouldn't help, of course, although Anchorpoint does have two games remaining next week against Calvary Christian, and the Hawks would need help from Calvary if it was to lose Thursday's game.
Anchorpoint could have all but eliminated Anzar from title contention on Tuesday, however, but the Hawks' three-run fourth prevented any such scenario.
Following a Daniel Ornelas grounder to the left side in the first inning that scored Paolo Marra-Biggs from third, the Hawks padded its lead in the fourth when Tyler McKinney connected on an RBI single to score Nick Salgado from second base, while Cody Mahler then hit a bases-loaded single up the middle to plate both Marra-Biggs and McKinney.
Marra-Biggs, who finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate along with teammate Cody Mahler, also pitched the last 1.2 innings on the mound for Anzar, allowing one hit while striking out one.
"We looked good," Barragan said. "But we had a lot of mental mistakes base running and I think we got picked off at least three times that game."
Barragan said on three occasions Anzar had runners on first and third base when Anchorpoint tried the pick-off move - faking the throw to third before spinning around to get the runner at first.
"Our hits came through," Barragan added. "But those are some base running mistakes we can't let happen, especially on Thursday."
Barragan will throw freshman Nick Salgado Thursday, and fully expects Anchorpoint ace Ryan Tapia to get the nod for the Warriors.
"As long as he has that changeup working," Barragan said of Salgado, "we should be okay."
First pitch is at 4 p.m., in Gilroy.
ANCPT - 000 001 0 - 1 3 1
ANZAR - 010 300 0 - 4 6 2
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