Angels KOd by Black Belts

GLENDALE — While far from simple, it was quite clear what the CV Black Belts had to do was keep their title hopes alive entering the sixth and final inning.

With the Burbank Angels three outs away from clinching the 2009 District 16 Knockout Tournament championship, the Black Belts needed base runners and some clutch hits, neither of which had come easily the previous five frames.

But what started with a slow drip turned into an offensive flood for the CV squad in the top of the sixth inning, as the Black Belts capped a six-run rally with a game-winning triple by Jake De La Hoya to deliver a dramatic 7-6 win.

“I feel really good,” said De La Hoya, who ripped a ground ball down the first-base line to drive in Max De La Torre, who had tied the game on a single to center field that scored Ty Langford. “I was feeling a lot of pressure. In the beginning of the game, I struck out twice. I didn’t know if I was going to strike out again, it was nervous.”

The Angels steadily built their lead with a run apiece in the first two frames and a two-run third inning.

Jason Lee singled to center field to score Daniel Ham in the fourth inning and pull to within, 4-1, but Burbank answered with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth.