Drinkwater Gets Hot for Vigilantes

MISSION VIEJO —  Sean Drinkwater erased some early season frustration and his teammates erased a three-run deficit as the Vigilantes rallied to beat Salinas, 11-9, in a Western Baseball League game Thursday at Saddleback College.

Drinkwater, from El Toro High and Cypress College, came into the game hitting .105 and had only two hits this season. But he had four hits, including his first home run and a double, and scored three runs including the go-ahead run during a five-run eighth that gave the Vigilantes an 11-9 lead.

“I was just trying to stay back and hit the ball to right,” Drinkwater said. “I was pressing in the beginning because I’m from around here but it all worked out well tonight.”

The rally also enabled the Vigilantes to overcome a four-home run sixth inning that gave Salinas (2-4) a 9-6 lead. Derric Walker started the attack with a one-out homer, then Todd Samples, Eddie Comeaux and Brian Kooiman hit back-to-back-to-back homers off reliever Jon Homan.

The score remained the same until Alan Burke started the eighth with a double and Eric Brooks followed with a run-scoring double for the Vigilantes. Corey Parker then made it three doubles in a row with a drive to the wall in left-center that scored Burke. Drinkwater, who hits eighth, then reached on an infield single to third.

Mike Cowell, the No. 9 hitter, singled to score Parker and one out later Sam Taylor pulled a single into right field to make it 10-9.

Cowell had two hits making the bottom two spots in the lineup six for eight with four runs batted in.

“We got a lot of production from guys we haven’t been getting much from,” Manager Buck Rodgers said.

The victory made the Vigilantes 5-2 on their opening home stand in Mission Viejo after playing two seasons in Long Beach. The team averaged 2,332 in announced crowds in the first home stand including an announced crowd of 1,622 Thursday.

Aaron Magdaleno (1-0) worked a perfect eighth for the victory and Kirt Kishita worked a perfect ninth for his second save.