For more than five innings it looked like Mission Viejo was in complete control of Millikan—but that’s why they play seven.  The Moore League champs trailed 4-0, but rallied for eight sixth-inning runs to stun the Diablos, 8-4, Friday evening in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division I playoffs at Blair Field.  The Rams’ win staved off a dreaded Moore League sweep in the first round, as Poly, Lakewood, and Wilson all got bounced on the road earlier in the day.

Mission Viejo (17-11) scored four runs (three earned) off Millikan ace Josh Frye (8-3) with single runs in the first and fourth innings, and two in the fifth.

Scott Brattvet’s two-run single gave the Diablos a 4-0 lead in the top of the fifth, and even the unflappable Frye had his doubts.

“I thought I had just blown our playoff chances, but our guys clutched up and got us the win on a night I didn’t have my best stuff,” Frye said. “It felt good to see the offense step up like that.”

Often times coaches don’t affect the outcome of a game, but when Rams’ skipper Scott Glasser didn’t go the conservative route and force his players to take a first strike, he did his players a favor.

Wade Kellick (4-3) went five-plus innings for Mission Viejo and struck out five, but he left with two runners on and no out.

Cody Hazel singled on Kellick’s first pitch of the sixth inning and then Paul Slater singled, which brought lefty Matt Florer into the game for the Diablos.

Florer walked Matt Clampitt to load the bases and Emmy Antonaras’ opposite-field single pulled Millikan to within 4-1.  Andrew Culver drew a bases loaded walk and made it 4-2.

Scott Brattvet replaced Florer and Glasser brought Adam Annella off the bench to pinch hit for Brandon Dopplick.

After two quick strikes and a third pitch that came close to ringing up Annella, the junior clutched up and singled in two runs to tie the game and sent the large Millikan contingency into a frenzy.

Ralph Davis singled, and then what happened next even shocked those of us that have seen and played this game throughout a lifetime.

Millikan’s Jonathan Singleton hit a bloop single to left field that gave the Rams a 5-4 lead, and the on-deck batter, Cody Hazel, ran across the field and started jumping all over Singleton at first base, with most people wondering if Hazel thought it was the seventh inning and the game was over.

The move infuriated the Diablos’ coaching staff, who initially filed a protest but said after the game they most likely wouldn’t follow through with the protest because Hazel’s actions didn’t impact the play.

After a long discussion amongst the umpires, Hazel got in the batter’s box and struck out.

The back-breaker for Mission Viejo was Paul Slater’s bases loaded two-run single (his second hit of the inning) that cleared the bases after the Diablos’ left fielder misplayed the ball, and the Rams had an 8-4 lead.

The Rams had just three hits after five innings, but rallied for eight runs on seven hits and a walk.

Frye, who had carried his team on nights his offense struggled, finally got his payback with the offensive outburst and finished off the Diablos for his fifth complete game of the season.

Millikan (21-10) will face Villa Park (17-11) on Tuesday after the Spartans defeated Royal, 2-1.

Antonaras had a huge hit to score Hazel, but arguably the biggest hit of the game was Annella’s two-run base knock after sitting in the dugout for the first five-plus innings.

“I would be lying if I didn’t say I was extremely nervous, but my teammates kept telling me to just relax and hit the ball hard and that’s all I tried to do,” Annella said. “It felt really good to do something to help my team win a huge game.”

Glasser couldn’t have been more proud of Annella.

“Adam is a guy who knows and accepts his role and is someone who has come through for us a lot this season,” Glasser said. “Sometimes I don’t like to use him as a designated hitter, because I like knowing he’s there for me to use as a pinch hitter.”

Looking back on his decision to not make his players take a first strike like many coaches employ late in a ball game when trailing, Glasser knows he made the right decision.

“I didn’t want to take away good pitches for the guys to hit and when Cody singled up the middle on the first pitch, I thought we might have something going,” he said.

Frye may not have had his best stuff, but as usual, it was good enough to get Millikan a win.

The junior allowed seven hits over seven innings and struck out four to prevent the Moore League from going 0-4 on Friday.