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    Foothill baseball edges Villa Park to stay near the lead in Crestview League
    • April 17, 2026

    SANTA ANA — To stay in the league race with some of Orange County’s top teams, the Foothill baseball team needed a victory in a Crestview League game against Villa Park on Thursday at Foothill High School.

    Thanks to a gusty outing from pitcher Evrett Rycroft, plus some nice plays in the field and a pair runs in the sixth inning, the Knights were able to come from behind for a 4-3 victory over the Spartans.

    With the victory, the Knights, (15-7, 3-3), who are ranked No. 15 in Orange County, are in third place in league, behind the No. 8 Spartans (14-7-1, 5-2) and first-place Cypress (16-5, 6-1), the No. 3-ranked team in the county.

    “This was an important game for us,” Foothill coach Chris Price said. “We still stay in the race and have a chance to progress forward and potentially win the league championship and that is one of our goals.”

    Villa Park took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a run-scoring sacrifice fly from Aiden Young and an RBI single from Jesse Olivan-Vazquez.

    The Knights got a run back in their half of the first with a solo home run from Presley Gaborno. They tied the score in the second with an RBI single Jaxon Foshay.

    Rycroft, who acknowledged not having his best stuff, battled from the second inning on.

    Rycroft retired the first two hitters in the third on fly balls to the outfield, gave up a single, then retired the next batter for the final out.

    In the fourth, the Spartans had runners on first and third with one out, when Rycroft got the next two hitters on a foul out and fly out to center.

    The Spartans scored on an error in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead before Rycroft got the side in order in the sixth.

    “Maybe he didn’t have his “A” stuff at the very beginning of the game, just trying to feel things out,” Price said. “But once he was able to lock in and get going, that is the kind of guy we know he can be.”

    Foothill’s Brayden Bianchi scored from third on a wild pitch to tie the score in the sixth.

    A.J. Nagler scored from third on Jaxson Foshay’s fly out to center later in the inning to give the Knights the lead for good.

    Grady Wright took over for Rycroft in the seventh and retired Villa Park in order to pick up the save.

    Rycroft allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with one strikeout.

    “I didn’t really have the changeup going,” Rycroft said. “But overall, I know I’m the guy. I know I can play. I trust my guys. I know I can trust every single person out there to make a play.”

    Villa Park starter Logan Hoppie allowed three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

    Bianchi, the Knights’ right fielder, made two fine plays, including the last out of the game on a ball he ran down in foul territory, a far distance from the right field foul line.

     

     Orange County Register 

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