Posted on 22 March 2014 by La Habra Journal
Sonora baseball coach Pat Tellers is presented a banner after earning his 400th win during his 24th year as head coach of the Sonora baseball program. The Raiders defeated Fullerton 3-2 at home to earn Tellers the milestone. Photos courtesy of Victor Choe
by Nathan Percy
La Habra Journal
The Sonora Raiders scored three early runs and survived a late rally by Fullerton to claim its second consecutive 3-2 victory and earn Head Coach Pat Tellers his 400th win as Raiders head coach.
The 24th year head coach joins boys’ basketball head coach Mike Murphy in terms of reaching milestones this year. Murphy, who has also coached at Sonora for 24 years, earned his 500th career coaching win in January.
Sonora scored single runs in the first three innings of the game and starting pitcher Evan Sonny outdueled Fullerton starting pitcher Randall Ortiz through six innings. JP Sarro earned his second consecutive save after pitching a scoreless seventh inning.
The Raiders’ Henry Bustamante drove home a run with a double, while Jose Gomez and Mauricio Guadaramma also pitched in with doubles in the early going.
Sonny kept the Indians’ offense in check until Fullerton put up two runs in the fifth inning. Sonny pitched six innings and gave up two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and three walks.
Ortiz pitched all six innings for Fullerton, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out two batters and walking two
The memorial banner hangs on the first base side of the backstop at Anderson Field, where Sonora varsity baseball plays its home games.
batters.
The Raiders worked around three errors to earn Tellers the milestone win and, more importantly, a 2-0 start in the Freeway League along with La Habra, which beat Sunny Hills on the road, 11-2.
Sonora starts the Anaheim Lions Tournament on Saturday with an 11 a.m. contest against Kelso High out of Washington at home.
The Sonora baseball team poses with Head Coach Pat Tellers (left) and pitching coach Rich Lodding (right) in celebration of Tellers’ 400th win at Sonora, Friday afternoon.