Pestano strong out of ’pen

The reliever played a key role in Mahoning Valley’s fourth win in five games.

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

NILES — While closing out a regular season game for Cal State Fullerton last spring, closer Vincent Pestano felt his elbow give out.

He knew right away something was wrong.

“It just happened on one pitch,” he said. “I’d never had any elbow problems before. If anything, I thought my shoulder would go because I’d had some shoulder tendinitis.”

The news was bad. His season was over and his team eventually went to the 2006 College World Series without him, losing to North Carolina. Pestano, meanwhile, was looking at Tommy John surgery and a questionable baseball future.

Then, last June, the Indians drafted him in the 20th round and, in Pestano’s words, “gave me a pretty good amount to sign.”

He had surgery 11 months ago, started pitching in extended spring training two months ahead of schedule and, while he was there, impressed the new Mahoning Valley Scrappers manager, Tim Laker.

Grit and confidence

“He’s a guy with grit,” Laker said. “He’s got some attitude and confidence on the mound.”

Pestano picked up his second professional save Saturday night, pitching two scoreless innings to help the Scrappers win their second straight over Batavia, 6-5, in front of 4,283 fans at Eastwood Field.

“He threw the ball really good,” Laker said. “He’s the kind of guy you like to have out there on the mound in the last inning.”

Pestano gave up two hits and struck out three of the last four batters he faced. He also got a big boost from his roommate, right fielder Todd Martin, with one out in the top of the ninth.

Big out

Muckdog batter Dan Descalso crushed a pitch into deep right that hit off the outfield wall. Martin fielded it quickly, spun and rifled a throw to shortstop Jeff Hehr to get Descalso at second.

“It doesn’t get any bigger than that,” Pestano said. “You’ve just got to tip your cap to him.”

Added Laker, “What can you say? He made a perfect play. We could be still out there playing if he doesn’t make it.”

Pestano still isn’t 100 percent — he said he’s still a few miles per hour slower on the radar gun — but it generally takes 12-18 months to fully recover from the surgery. Often, pitchers find they throw harder once they’ve recovered.

“It’s a grind for the first three or four months to constantly be doing rehab,” Pestano said. “But looking back on it, it flew by.”

Outbreak of runs

Batavia (1-4) scored as many runs Saturday night as the Scrappers (4-1) had given up in their first four games combined, but Mahoning Valley’s offense did enough to get the win.

No. 9 hitter Jansy Infante doubled in his first two at bats, scoring a run and driving one in as Mahoning Valley took a 5-1 lead after three innings.

Hehr, a Mooney High graduate, added two singles, a run and an RBI, while first round pick Beau Mills had his first hit of the homestand, scored a run and played first base for the first time after spending his career at third.

“I think I was pressing [Friday], trying too hard to give the fans something to cheer about,” Mills said. “I felt pretty comfortable at first. There’s a few adjustments to make, but I think I did OK.”

James Brettl (1-0) gave up two runs (both earned) in 22⁄3 innings of relief to get the win. Joshua Fritsche (0-1) started and gave up three runs (two earned) in two innings to get the loss.

———

BATAVIASCRAPPERS

abrhbiabrhbi

DeJesus3102Valdes dh3000

Pham cf4010Hehr ss5121

Brown 1b5011Thompson ss0000

Hill dh4010Mills 1b3110

Descalso 2b5010Martin rf4010

Derba c5120Petrucci 3b3101

Cartie 3b4230Brown cf4011

Roberson lf3011Jenkins lf3110

Oeder ss3120Castillo c3111

Infante 2b4121

Totals365124Totals32695

Batavia001202000—5

Scrappers21201000x—6

E—Descalzo (1), Oeder (2), Petrucci 2 (2), Hehr (1). DP—Scrappers 1. LOB—Batavia 10, Scrappers 8. 2B—Hill (4), Derba (2), Infante 2 (2), Jenkins (1), Brown (2). S—Oeder, Roberson. SF—Castillo. SB—Valdes (3). CS—Hehr (1).

IPHRERBBSO

Batavia

Fritsche L, 0-1253222

Riddle343214

Long200013

Dew100003

Scrappers

Delage363210

Bretti W, 1-02 2-322210

Landis1 1-320001

Pestano S, 2220003

Delage pitched to 3 batters in the 4th. HBP—By Fritsche (Mills), By Delage (DeJesus), by Delage (DeJesus). Umpires—Home, Tyler Wilson; Bases, Ben Karis. T—2:53. A—4,283.

HOW THEY SCORED

Scrappers 1st — Valdes strikes out looking. Hehr reaches on infield single. Mills singles to center, Hehr to 2nd. Martin singles to right, Hehr to 3rd, Mills to 2nd. Petrucci reaches on error (E-4), Hehr scores, Mills to 3rd, Martin to 2nd. Brown grounds out (2-3), Mills scores, Martin to 3rd, Petrucci to 2nd. Jenkins walks. Castillo grounds out (4-3). 2 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 3 LOB.

Scrappers 2nd — Infante doubles to left. Valdes walks. Hehr singles to center, Infante scores, Valdes thrown out (8-5). With Mills batting, Hehr caught stealing (1-3-6). Mills hit by pitch. Martin strikes out swinging. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Muckdogs 3rd — Oeder singles to center. DeJesus hit by pitch, Oeder to 2nd. Pham grounds into double play (5-4-3). Brown reaches on error (E-6), Oeder scores. Hill doubles to right, Brown to 3rd. DeScalso pops out (F-6). 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.

Scrappers 3rd — Petrucci pops out (F-4). Brown flies out (F-7). Jenkins doubles to left. Castillo reaches on infield single, moves to 2nd on throwing error (E-6), Jenkins scores. Infante doubles, Castillo scores. Valdes strikes out looking. 2 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.

Muckdogs 4th — Delba doubles to left-center. Cartie singles to left, Delba to 3rd. Roberson singles to left, Delba scores, Cartie to 2nd. Oeder sacrifice bunt (3-4), Cartie to 3rd, Roberson to 2nd. DeJesus grounds out (4-3), Cartie scores, Roberson to 3rd. Pham flies out (F-8). 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Scrappers 5th — Petrucci walks. Brown doubles to right, Petrucci to 3rd. Jenkins strikes out swinging. Castillo flies out (F-9), Petrucci scores. Infante strikes out swinging. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Muckdogs 6th — Cartie singles to left. Roberson sacrifice bunts (1-3), Cartie to 2nd. Oeder singles to right, Cartie to 3rd. DeJesus grounds into fielder’s choice (4-6), Oeder out at 2nd, Cartie scores. Pham walks, DeJesus to 2nd. Brown singles to left, DeJesus scores, Pham to 2nd. Hill pops out (F-5). 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.