Fitzhugh, Roelofs fuel Shadow Ridge’s key win over Centennial

One inning later, Josh Roelofs made the day and quite possibly the Mustangs’ season.

Fitzhugh forced extra innings with a two-out, two-strike RBI hit in the seventh, and Roelofs’ two-run triple in the eighth provided the margin of victory as the Mustangs rallied past host Centennial 5-3 in a pivotal Northwest League game.

“These kids have battled back all year,” said Shadow Ridge coach Frank Tousa, whose team grabbed sole possession of third place in the Northwest with four games left.

“This was big because it gives us that foot ahead. We don’t have to rely on someone else now. We put it in our own command.”

The Mustangs (16-10, 8-4) were one strike from falling into fifth place before Fitzhugh looped a 1-2 pitch into short right-center field to score Roelofs with the tying run in the seventh.

Fitzhugh fell behind 0-2, took a close pitch for a ball and fouled off a pitch before getting one he could handle. Roelofs led off the inning with a single — the Mustangs’ first hit since the third inning — before moving to second on Logan Hold’s sacrifice and to third on Mike Wager’s groundout.

“He’s been there for us the whole year, hitting the ball in clutch situations,” Tousa said of Fitzhugh.

The Bulldogs (18-8-1, 7-5) had a chance to win in the seventh, but Shadow Ridge pitcher Mitchell Shields struck out Will Loucks with runners at second and third to end the inning.

Shields, a left-hander, threw 133 pitches in seven innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. He struck out five.

“We don’t really say we have a one and a two. We kind of have two 1-As,” Tousa said of Shields and Hold, who started in the first meeting against Centennial. “We knew they had some left-handed hitters that he could match up with.”

Centennial’s Bryan Bonnell was solid, too, allowing six hits, one walk and one earned run in seven innings. He struck out 11.

The Mustangs, who led 2-0 in the first inning, reclaimed the lead in the eighth on Roelofs’ triple.
With two outs, Brady Hoskins walked, and pinch hitter Chad Rillos singled Hoskins to third.

Roelofs ripped a 3-2 pitch into left-center. Centennial center fielder Keith Krueger raced back and leaped for the ball but came up just short, allowing both runners to score.