Vigilantes Fall to Tri-City, Test the Patience of Their Management

MISSION VIEJO — Fans of the Vigilantes better take a good look at their favorite players because there’s no guarantee they’ll be around much longer.

Not as long the Vigilantes continue the listless play they’ve shown of late. That same style was in evidence during Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Tri-City Posse in front of an announced crowd of 2,598 at Saddleback College.

Club president Patrick Elster would neither confirm nor deny that shake-ups are imminent, in part because he likes to leave on-the-field decisions to his baseball people--Manager Buck Rodgers and pitching coach Brad Lesley.

There is no definite date for Rodgers’ return; he remains in Ohio after the death of his mother and the serious injuries to his father in a traffic accident.

Leslie was not in the mood to give pats on the back after watching the Vigilantes collect only six singles against Posse starter Chad Rolish (3-1) and reliever Ruben Niebla. The Vigilantes, who made three errors that contributed to three unearned runs, lost their ninth in the last 13 games.

“Tri-City played last night, bused all the way here, could not get in their beds until 9:30 this morning--and we look like the ones who are dragging,” Lesley said.

“There could be some shakeups. I told Buck I would give him back the team in good order. All I ask is that these guys give 100% on the field. When it looks like winning and losing doesn’t matter there will be changes.”

These two franchises have played for the Western Baseball League championship the last two years. (The Vigilantes, then known as the Long Beach Riptide, won both times.) But neither has resembled a champion so far.

Tri-City lost five of its six opening games and has been trying to climb out that hole ever since. Manager Jamie Nelson--who likes his teams constantly in motion, as evidenced by their league-high 37 stolen bases this season--said his players had been trying to do too much, especially at the plate.

“We haven’t been focused on the process--the things we need to do to win--only the results,” Nelson said. “And you can’t have one without the other.”

Aggressiveness got the Posse a run in the first inning. Vigilante starter Daniel Ehler (0-3) walked leadoff hitter Reuben Cardona, who went to second on Ryan Rutz’s single to right and raced to third on John Coats’ liner to center. From there he scored on Graham Koonce’s sacrifice fly.

Ehler caused his problems in the third as a lazy throw to first on Shawn Scott’s bunt--Cory Parker dropped the ball in avoiding a collision with Scott--opened the doors to a big inning for Tri-City.

The Posse quickly loaded the bases with no outs on two hits. Another sacrifice fly, a RBI single, an error by shortstop Mike Moutry, an infield grounder, and the Vigilantes found themselves down 5-0.

Mission Viejo had a chance to get right back in the game in the seventh, loading the bases with one out on two hits and a walk. Reuben Smiley brought out a crowd roar with a deep drive to right, but it died in Jason Minici’s glove at the base of the fence.

Bret Barberie scored on the play, and in the eighth drove in a run with his second hit. But that was the extent of the Vigilante rallies for the night.