Bishop Gorman trailed 5-1 in the fifth inning Thursday, but a freshman delivered the decisive blow in a seven-run outburst that gave the Gaels a 7-5 win over Faith Lutheran in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Ajay Hermosura singled up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, driving in two runs to put Gorman ahead 6-5. The Gaels (25-5, 9-1 Mountain League) had already scored three runs before his at-bat, erasing a four-run deficit.
“He’s been amazing all year,” Gorman coach Matt Stoner said of Hermosura. “He’s been really good. He’s going to be really good. He just goes. He had two huge at-bats to keep us in it.”
Hermosura also had an RBI single in the first inning. He finished 2-for-3, as did Logan Grubbs and Alec Kajioka.
The Crusaders (15-13, 7-3) appeared poised to add to their lead in the top of the fifth after loading the bases with no outs on an error and singles by Ethan Gordan and Rookie Shepard. But Gorman starter Jack Stoner induced a comebacker from Macen Collura for a force at home, struck out pinch-hitter Cooper Phillips on a foul bunt attempt, and got Luke Stringer to ground back to the mound to escape the jam.
“You need a little bit of luck, and we did,” Matt Stoner said. “We got out of it. It was great. The kids battled today. It was good.”
Gorman’s rally began when Connor Long was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in a run. Grubbs followed with a two-run single to center, cutting the lead to 5-4. Hermosura then delivered the go-ahead hit.
Faith Lutheran threatened in the sixth after a leadoff double by Jameson Day and a walk, but Gorman first baseman Chase Wilk charged a bunt and threw to third to retire Day. Christian Balistere then struck out Shepard to end the inning.
Shepard had homered in the fourth inning, a two-run shot to left field that put Faith Lutheran ahead 3-1. After a single by Kingston Kela, Collura crushed a two-run homer to left to make it 5-1.
Shepard finished 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Collura went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
“It was really good, because that’s a really, really, really good team,” Matt Stoner said. “They’re scary.”
