Taft’s ninth-inning rally falls short in 6-5 loss to Reedley

Taft nearly erased a five-run deficit in its final at-bat Thursday, but Reedley held on for a 6-5 victory at Cougar Field. The decisive swing came earlier in the day, when Dom DeCanio lined a two-run triple in the eighth inning to stretch Reedley's lead to 5-1, and Ayden Oliveras followed with a solo home run in the ninth to make it 6-1.

The Cougars made one last push in the bottom of the ninth, scoring four times and bringing pressure to Reedley's bullpen. Taft's rally included an RBI walk, a run scored on a wild pitch and another run that came home on an error. After managing just one run through the first eight innings, the late surge cut the margin to one, but Reedley secured the final out before Taft could complete the comeback.

Reedley set the tone with steady offense throughout the afternoon, finishing with 13 hits. DeCanio led the way by going 3 for 5 with a double, a triple and two RBIs, while Oliveras also went 3 for 5 and drove in two runs, including the ninth-inning homer. Reedley scored once in the first, added two more in the third, then broke the game open with two in the eighth and one in the ninth.

Taft answered Reedley's opening run in the bottom of the first. Zaden Kekoa D. Sibal tripled and later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1. Sibal finished with a run-producing afternoon that included the triple and two runs scored, giving the Cougars one of their key offensive sparks in a game where they were limited to five hits.

On the mound, Reedley starter Mark Huarte controlled most of the game. Huarte worked seven innings, allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out five and walking two to earn the win. Kaden Welch recorded the save. For Taft, Ryden Walker kept the Cougars within reach for much of his outing, going six innings and allowing three runs, only one earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Reedley finished with six runs, 13 hits and two errors, while Taft totaled five runs, five hits and four errors. The Cougars also drew six walks and were hit by two pitches, opportunities that helped fuel the ninth-inning rally in front of an announced attendance of 50 on a sunny afternoon. Even in defeat, Taft made Reedley work through the final frame before the visitors escaped with the one-run win.