The Fresno Central Babe Ruth All-stars scored 10 runs in the bottom of the first inning and starting pitcher Nick Foglio had retired the first six batters he faced for a perfect two innings.

His coaching staff figured to save their ace for another day and brought in a reliever to start the third.

Eight runs and two pitchers later, Orcutt was right back in the game and Central was forced to bring Foglio back in to close out the game.

After three hours and under very dark conditions, Central held on for a 12-9 elimination bracket win over the host team in the 14-year old state playoffs at Morrison Field in Orcutt.

A fan in a car just outside left field had their lights on facing the field, prompting the home plate umpire to send a player to the parking lot to have the lights shut off. The players could of used that light in the later innings as the game continued long after the sun had any effect.

“The umpire came to me about 7:20 saying we had 10 to 15 more minutes left to go,” said Orcutt manager Brian Williamson. “Playing in the regular season we had never gone to 8:00 in a game.

This game ended at 8:13, which was the official time that the sun set. Williamson came out before the seventh inning began and tried to get the game called, even though his team was still down by three runs.

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“I'm here for the safety of the kids and if it gets too dark you can't see the ball,” he said.

Central will next play Hanford - a 9-6 winner over Visalia - in another elimination game this afternoon at 2 p.m. at Morrison. That game will be followed by a winner's bracket game at 5 p.m. between Arroyo Grande and San Benito.

Four walks, three errors, three doubles and a single added up for the 10-run outburst in the first for Central. Seven of the runs were unearned.

Two of the runs crossed the plate on wild pitches and two on errors. After two one out walks, Foglio doubled in Anders Nelson for the first run. Mike Binger, who walked, scored on a wild pitch and Foglio scored on and error.

Tony Paolercio walked and later scored the fourth run on a wild pitch. Garrett Phillips also walked and scored on a two-out single by Staphon Williams. Dustin Axt reached on an error, followed by a single by Seth Buchnoff and they both scored on a double by Nelson.

Binger followed with an RBI double and scored the last run of the inning on the third error of the inning.

Meanwhile Foglio send Orcutt down 1-2-3 in both the first and second innings with three strikeouts.

Danny Sandoval started the third and did not record an out, hitting the first batter, walking the next and allowing a single to load the bases. After walking another batter, Kody McCambridge to force in Kohl Bashline, Sandoval was replaced by Bobby Bibings - who promptly retired the next two batters.

But Jacob Cooper hit a grounder to second that was thrown away, allowing two runs to score. Evan Harper walked to reload the bases and McCambridge came across on a wild pitch.

Evan Harper walked and Mark Hellman was hit by a pitch to load the bases once more. Bashline then walked for another RBI and Jack Dunn greeted the third Central pitcher of the inning with a single that drove in two more runs, making the score 10-8.

“That's what I love about this team,” Williamson said. “They always strive to fight. They keep their heads up and think they can do it - and we almost did.

“I keep preaching to these guys that we play seven innings here and you can't quit until the last out.”

In the fourth, Orcutt pulled to within one when Andrew Cox singled moved to third on a wild pitch and passed ball, then scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Cooper.

Central answered back in the bottom of the same inning, finally getting to reliever Jack Dunn, who had shut them out in the second and third.

Foglio, now at third base was hit by a pitch and Paolercio laid down a sacrifice bunt that he beat out. On the errant throw by the pitcher, Foglio moved to third and scored on a sac fly to center by Phillips.

Paolercio came around to score on two wild pitches.

With two on and one out in the top of the fifth, Foglio returned to the mound, got a double play and allowed just one base runner in the seventh to hold off Orcutt.

The one base runner was Bashline who reached on an error by the shortstop with two outs. The way he reacted to the ball, it looked like the third baseman lost the grounder in the darkness.

“I don't think that guy saw the ball,” Williamson said.

But both teams played in the dark and somehow survived. And down by 10 runs after one, Orcutt fought back and nearly survived elimination.

“Orcutt is a small town and we've played some pretty good teams from bigger cities,” said Williamson. “And to win one in state and come close to winning another - they know they can compete.

Next year at 15-year olds, I think the season will be really exciting. I'm proud of them.”

July 22, 2008