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Fullerton baseball beats La Habra in a walk-off replay for the Freeway League rivals

April 15, 2023

FULLERTON — Zach Fany’s single to left in the bottom of the seventh drove in Miguel Velazquez from third to give Fullerton a 1-0 victory over La Habra in a key Freeway League game Friday at Fullerton High School.

For the second game in a row, La Habra and Fullerton battled for six scoreless innings, with the home team coming away with a 1-0 walk-off victory.

Fullerton (13-6, 5-1) and the Highlanders (13-3-2, 4-2) had been tied for first coming into the game, but the Indians are back in the top spot by themselves after the victory.

Velazquez reached on error to start off the seventh for Fullerton and then took second on a sacrifice bunt from Carlos Barrios.

Niko Savage then walked, sending Fany up to the plate.

With a one-ball, no-strike count, the Indians pulled off a double steal that put Velazquez at third and Savage at second.

That set the stage for Fany’s game-winning hit.

“After (the double steal), I knew I was getting a fastball,” Fany said. “Right off the bat, I knew it.”

La Habra pitcher Matthew Viveros went the distance for the Highlanders in their 1-0 loss to Fullerton in a Freeway League game Friday, April 14. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

Fullerton’s Miguel Velazquez scores the winning run on Zach Fany’s single to give the Indians a 1-0 victory over La Habra in a Freeway League game Friday, April 14. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

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The pitching for both teams was exceptional.

Fullerton right-hander Matthew Carbajal allowed no runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings, and he left runners in scoring position stranded in three innings.

“He was outstanding,” Fullerton assistant coach Tom Rainey said. “He came in and he threw all three pitches in any count all day. He kept them off-balance.”

Rainey was filling in for head coach Shaun Hill, who received a postgame ejection for arguing the balk call that ended Wednesday’s game.

La Habra starter Matthew Viveros pitched a complete game, allowed a run on three hits with three strikeouts.

After retiring the first two batters in the top of the seventh, Carbajal gave up back-to-back hits to Bobby Fiero and Bobby Brooks and left the game with Brooks on first and Fierro on third.

Eddie Advita relieved Carbajal and retired Anthony Gomez on a hard line drive that was caught by Fany, the shortstop.

Carbajal was on the mound in relief in the bottom of the seventh Wednesday at La Habra High when he was called for a balk that allowed the winning run to score from third to give the Highlanders a 1-0 victory.

La Habra baseball scores on a balk for walk-off win over Fullerton

The right-hander said he was anxious to get back on the mound.

“I really wanted to have a good day today,” Carbajal said.

A pivotal play took place in the fourth when Indians center fielder Connor Sunderland threw out Izaiah Posada at home.

Posada was trying to score from a second on Andrew Gandara’s single, but Sunderland threw on target to catcher Nate Norman, who applied the tag.

“I think if we get the run across there in the fourth, it puts a lot of pressure on them,” La Habra coach Jack Brooks said.

Orange County Register

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Fullerton baseball beats La Habra in a walk-off replay for the Freeway League rivals

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