Miller holds off Carter in CBL baseball game

By BOB OTTO

The Fontana A.B. Miller Rebels jumped out to a 5-0 lead and looked to be in command late in the game, but then they had to withstand a Rialto Carter comeback to pull out a 5-4 victory in Citrus Belt League baseball action last week.

Third baseman Mike Dragoon put Miller on top, 1-0, in the second inning by drilling a triple that brought home Anthony Michaud from first base. Dragoon then raced home and scored on a wild pitch to give the Rebels their second run of the inning.

The Rebels put Carter in a deep hole by scoring three times in the fourth, with Ricky Plascencia's double down the left field line chasing home two runs.

Meanwhile, on the mound, Plascencia had set the Lions down through five innings on four hits and one earned run.

Plascencia was replaced by David Palomino in the sixth, and a single, error and a dribbler down the third base line allowed the Lions to score a run and pull within 5-2. Palomino escaped further damage in the inning by pitching out of a bases-loaded jam with an easy fly ball to the outfield to retire Carter.

But the Lions created a stressful seventh inning for the Rebels by stringing together a single by Jordan Williams and back-to-back doubles by Tyler Spotville and Larry Chavez to plate two runs and pull within 5-4.

The tying run stood just 180 feet away on second base with one out, but Palomino toughened. He got Danny Bechtel to pop up to catcher Zac Fisher, and Charles Kelly to ground out to retire the side and give the Rebels their fourth win in CBL play.

The defending CBL champions field a young team this season and it shows in their record, which stands at 4-7 league, 6-13 overall. The loss hurt the fourth-place Lions' CIF playoff aspirations as they fell to 5-6 in league, 14-10 overall.

Plascencia led the Rebels at the plate, going 2-for-4. Palomino, Juan Sandoval, Dragoon, and Brooks Martinez all had one hit each.

In five innings, Plascencia allowed four hits, struck out seven, gave up three walks and hit one batter to pick up the win.

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