Bonita Unplugs the Chargers, 7-1

Nolan Henley loads up in a pinch-hitting role for the Bearcats.

Pitcher Brian Tuttle twirled a complete game and was supported by a dozen hits as Bonita pulled the plug on Charter Oak, 7-1, on the Chargers’ home field.

Like the other night against San Dimas, Bonita’s best inning was the fifth when it scored three runs against Chargers starting pitcher Joe Reynoso to go up 7-0. After Matt Rodriguez grounded out sharply to first, KC Huth walked and Greg Victoria doubled to put runners on second and third. Matt Gelalich promptly followed with a triple down into the right field corner to score both Huth and Victoria. Lead-off hitter Robert Mier next hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Anthony Godinez who threw home to get Gelalilch who was off on contact. Gellalich, however, slid around the tag and was ruled safe to give Bonita its third run of the inning.

Bonita broke on top in the first inning. After a two-out pass was issued to Evan Highley, catcher Mark Lindsay singled on a hit and run, the ball just squirting through the infield as the second baseman went to cover the throw. Anthony Ramos then blasted a double down the left field line to score Highley.

Bonita came back and scored a pair of runs in the second. Huth singled sharply to left to start the inning. After Victoria popped up, Gelalich banged a single to center. Mier followed with an RBI single to left to score Huth, and and Tuttle lofted a sacrifice fly to plate Tuttle.

Bonita scored, or actually stole, its other run in the fourth. With one out Mier, singled and stole second, then moved to third on a long fly ball out to right by Tuttle. Highley walked. With Lindsay at the plate, Highley took off for second. Charter Oak threw down, but as the ball skipped to second, Mier practically walked home.

It was a complete victory for Bonita. Tuttle was tossing a four-hit, six inning shut going into the bottom of the seventh before yielding four singles and the one run before closing out the game.

“You got to give a lot of credit to Brian Tuttle,” said Coach John Knott moments after the victory, his first over Charter Oak on its home field. “The guy showed up today. Having dislocated his pinkie and having to come back from that, he showed a lot of poise.

“Even in that last inning, he wasn’t rattled. He looked at me, and said, ‘You’re not taking me out. I said, ‘All right, man, you’re going to have to blow a seven-run lead.’”

Mier led the hit parade with three hits, with Lindsay, Ramos and Gelalich each collecting a pair of hits to pace the offense.

Looking back, it was a satisfying week for the Bearcats, their drubbing by Claremont last Saturday a distant memory.

“That’s what baseball is,” Knott said. “Our season is 25 or 26 games long. If you take a long time and dwell on things, you’re not going to have a very productive season. So you just have to stay in the moment.

“This was a good week for us. The kids bounced back well.”

Bonita faces a much-improved Los Altos team next Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. in Hacienda Heights.