Baseball: Mtn. View rallies in 7th to clip Desert Ridge

March 4, 2015 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Seth Nordlin has enjoyed a pretty good first week of the season for Mesa Mountain View be it pitching or hitting. On Wednesday afternoon he had to face adversity for the first time in 2015. One could say he prevailed.

Nordlin smashed a game-tying home run in the seventh and his teammates pushed across another run in the frame to give the Toros a 2-1 win over host Desert Ridge in a Division I game.

Nordlin, a strapping senior right-hander, launched a leadoff homer in the top of the seventh --- the fourth consecutive game in which he's homered -- to quickly seize the momentum Desert Ridge gained in the bottom of the sixth. Desert Ridge broke the scoreless tie on Ian Raidy's RBI single.

That put Mountain View (4-1 overall, 2-0 power-ranking games) behind for the first time this season in its second power-ranking game. After Nordlin's homer off Desert Ridge starter Max Cook, Anthony Williams walked to continue the rally. A fielder's choice by Brady Gerber, double by Jon Wilcox and a hit-by-pitch of Trent Gregory loaded the bases for Mountain View with one out. Casey Lederman then delivered a sacrifice fly off reliever Brenden Morris to plate Gerber with what proved to be the winning run.

Nordlin went six innings to gain his second win in as many starts. He pitched out of a tough jam in the sixth, giving up the run with no outs. He gave up a single, walk ,wild pitch and another single to give Desert Ridge the lead. That left the Jaguars with runners at second and third with no out. Nordlin proceeded to strikeout the next two hitters and a pop up for the third out. Brent Bailey pitched the seventh to pick up the save, posting a pair of strikeouts. Joe Cilladi had two hits and walk to lead Mountain View.

Nordlin's pitching line on Wednesday was six innings worked, three hits, one walk and six strikeouts. He aslo was the starter and winning pitcher in a 4-0 victory over Valley Vista on Feb. 25. In that one he allowed two hits, one walk and fanned eight. In the Toros first five games, Nordlin is batting .389 (7 of 18) with four homers, seven RBI and a double.

Stephen Gomez and Nick Labella joined Raidy with a hit each for Desert Ridge (1-4, 0-1 prg). Desert Ridge has dropped three one-run games among its four losses. Its first four games were played last week in Horizon's preseason tournament.