Fugate, defense leads Aptos past Watsonville

APTOS — Aptos High’s senior right-handed pitcher Joe Fugate was a little off balance.
Senior centerfielder Anthony Bella gave him a boost of confidence with a highlight reel grab.

Bella, one of the Mariners’ four senior captains, robbed the Watsonville High Wildcatz of at least a pair of runs by leaping several feet in the air to snag a blistering line drive and Fugate did the rest, twirling a six-inning gem in Aptos’ 5-2 non-league win on Tuesday afternoon.

Watsonville (10-5) had a pair of runners on base with the game tied 1-all in the third inning when junior catcher Jason Garza hammered a pitch into deep center. But Bella somehow chased down the laser as it zipped toward the fence and sprung off the slick outfield grass to haul it in.

Fugate, who had just struggled through a 22-pitch inning, was never the same after seeing his defense bail him out. The diminutive junkballer rolled through the next three innings, allowing only two hits and getting out of the fifth and sixth innings in five and three pitches, respectively.

“[Bella’s] a clutch player,” Fugate said. “I love having him out there in the outfield.”

Said Bella: “That’s what’s great about this team, you don’t have to play all stressed out about making a mistake because even if you do everyone on this team is going to have your back.”

Fugate scattered six hits, allowed a run, walked two and hit a batter before being pulled in the seventh inning.

Senior right-handed pitcher Joseph Navarrette entered in relief and allowed the tying run to reach the plate with two outs but senior third baseman Brian Sakoda smothered a would-be RBI double from getting through and giving Watsonville new life.

It was one of several solid defensive plays the Mariners (10-4-1) made in their first game back from a 10-day rest for spring break.

“We were a little rusty, some of our approaches at the plate weren’t the greatest but we played great defense and Joe had a great game pitching,” said Aptos second-year head coach Jason Biancardi.

Bella also had a good day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run.

Aptos junior infielder David Reckers drove in Bella in the fourth inning to give Aptos a 2-1 lead and the Mariners seized complete control of the game two innings later with a two-out, three-run rally. Junior Forrest Hays knocked in Reckers and senior outfielder Matt Perko as a pinch hitter and scored seconds later on a blooper from junior catcher Will Murphy.

It was one of few innings in which the Mariners had success against Watsonville’s junior right-handed pitcher Gio Gonzalez, who allowed eight hits, five earned runs and a walk, while also hitting two batters and striking out a pair.

“He did the same thing he’s been doing all year,” Watsonville head coach James Gomez said of Gonzalez. “He keeps us in the game and gives us a chance to win.”

Watsonville jumped on Fugate in the opening inning, as senior outfielder JoJo Vargas hit an RBI single to score senior outfielder James Gomez Jr. Junior infielder Clayton Galassi singled to move Vargas to third but Fugate, who was pushed to 25 pitches in the first, was able to battle out of the inning and halt the damage.

Bella tied it up with an RBI single in the bottom of the first, scoring senior infielder Tate Stone-Hinds, and scored the go-ahead run in the fourth.

Gonzalez settled down after the fourth inning but struggled with his command in the sixth. It also didn’t help that Gomez, who relays the pitches into the catcher during the game, was tossed for arguing against a double play call during the bottom of the fifth inning.

“It hurts us, me not being there,” Gomez said. “I don’t know if they knew what was going on or what they were throwing to each guy.”

Sophomore infielder Maximilian Ramirez IV scored for Watsonville in the seventh inning off an RBI single from junior outfielder Ryan Rivera but the late-game rally stalled.

Watsonville, which is still very much alive in the Monterey Bay League Pacific division at 6-3, will continue its week away from league play on Thursday at Santa Cruz High before hosting Gonzales High on April 18.

Gomez said tight games against good teams, much like Tuesday, are only going to make his team better.

“We’ve been playing good baseball right now and this is really good for us,” the coach said. “We just want to carry that over. We’re one game out of first place. We’ve just got to execute and get better.”

Aptos, meanwhile, is also spending time away from league play. The Mariners will host Saratoga High on Wednesday and Oak Grove High on Monday before continuing its Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League slate on April 21 at home against Soquel High.

Soquel leads the SCCAL at 3-1 but San Lorenzo Valley High and Aptos are both sitting in second at 3-2. Scotts Valley High and Santa Cruz aren’t out of it either at 2-2 and St. Francis, the defending co-champion with SLV, has played well of recent.

“We’re just trying to get reps,” Bella said. “Get ready for league. That’s what’s most important.”