SAN CLEMENTE — After being shut out for five innings, the bats for the Aliso Niguel baseball team came to life against San Clemente on Wednesday.
The Wolverines scored five runs in the last two innings to pull out a 5-2 victory at San Clemente in a Sea View League contest.
Aliso Niguel (15-7, 6-3), which is ranked No. 9 the Register’s Top 25, is 3-0 against San Clemente (13-11, 5-4) and clinched the season series.
The Wolverines are tied with San Juan Hills atop the Sea View League standings with three league games remaining. San Clemente is one game behind the two teams.
“Every game is really crucial, especially with three teams tied (for first) entering the week,” Aliso Niguel coach Craig Hanson said. “Every time we take the field it is extremely important and I was happy for our guys to get a win today.”
San Clemente starting pitcher Mike Erspamer allowed just one hit and no runs through the first five innings. The Stanford signee had five strikeouts and a 1-0 lead entering the sixth inning.
Erspamer walked the leadoff hitter, Zach Boynton, and then gave up a two-run home run to Brandon Tatch that cleared the tall wall in left field to give Aliso Niguel a 2-1 lead.
Brandon Tatch hits a big two-run home run for Aliso Niguel over the giant wall and hill at San Clemente. Here is a photo for reference.
Aliso Niguel 2, San Clemente 1 in the 6th @ocvarsity @OCRegSports @SteveFryer @latsondheimer @ANHS_Baseball @BrandonTatch @SouthOCsports pic.twitter.com/XVpAygM5Xm— Michael Huntley (@mikehuntley63) April 18, 2024
“It was a 2-0 count so I was sitting dead red on a fastball,” Tatch said. “He was giving me all off-speed all day and I see his fastball pretty well. When I sit dead red, I should be able to hit it and I did.”
The home run was the third of the season for Tatch and gave him 20 RBIs, both team-highs.
“Erspamer is the real deal and he got stronger as the game went on,” Hanson said. “We knew we were going to have to grind out at-bats and somehow tie the game any way we could. Tatch has been coming through for us for four years and came through again today.”
Aliso Niguel pitcher Connor Etnire allowed a run in the first inning, but matched Erspamer with shutout innings after that. The junior allowed five hits and one run in five innings with six strikeouts.
The Wolverines blew the game open in the seventh inning. San Clemente intentionally walked Jonathan Nadolski to load the bases with no outs. Boynton hit a run-scoring single to extend the lead to 3-1.
USC commit Jarett Sabol hit a two-run single to give the Wolverines a 5-1 lead.
Sabol went 2 for 3 with two RBIs.
“The top of our order has been solid this year,” Sabol said. “Boynton has been doing well and I’ve been picking it up a bit after a struggle earlier in the season. To see these results come through has been really nice.”
“I would have done the same thing and walked the bases loaded to set up the double play, but Boynton has been swinging the best bat for us and I felt really good when he was coming up,” Hanson said.
Brock Della Vedova drove in both runs for San Clemente. He hit a run-scoring double to the right field fence in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Erspamer had two hits for the Tritons. Bradley Siefert and Kai Cesare each hit doubles for San Clemente.
Tyler Geivet pitched the last two innings for Aliso Niguel to earn the save. He stranded two runners in scoring position in the sixth.
The two teams meet for the final time this season Friday at Aliso Niguel.
“Even though we already won the series, they are going to come out and try to beat us Friday,” Sabol said. “Anybody can win this and you have to bring your full effort every game.”
