Mission Viejo’s Andreas Nilsen (13) begins to celebrate with teammates as he head for home after hitting a walk off home run to win the South Coast League game against Tesoro in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
MISSION VIEJO >> Andreas Nilsen hit a walk-off, three-run home run to give the Mission Viejo baseball team a 7-6 win over No. 11-ranked Tesoro in a South Coast League game Tuesday at Mission Viejo High.
Mission Viejo trailed 6-4 in the seventh when Travis Anderson and Ben Castelli each got singles to put runners on the corners with two outs. Nilsen hit the ball well over the right-field fence to end Tesoro’s eight-game winning streak.
As he approaches home plate, Mission Viejo’s Andreas Nilsen, right, jumps up in celebration of his walk off home run to win the South Coast League baseball game against Tesoro in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mission Viejo players celebrate winning their South Coast League baseball game as they watch teammate Andreas Nilsen round the bases. Nilsen hit a walk off home run in the bottom of seventh inning to beat Tesoro in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mission Viejo’s Andreas Nilsen (13) begins to celebrate with teammates as he head for home after hitting a walk off home run to win the South Coast League game against Tesoro in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mission Viejo players celebrate winning their South Coast League baseball game against Tesoro on a walk off home run by Andreas Nilsen in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mission Viejo right fielder Thomas Fleming appeals to the umpire claiming the ball wedged itself under the outfield fence in South Coast League baseball game in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. The umpire ruled the play a ground-rule double by Tesoro. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Hunter Sablatura looks to be safe at first after Mission Viejo first baseman Keenan Anzai, (6) loses his glove and ball trying to tag Sablatura in a South Coast League baseball game in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Sablatura was subsequently ruled out by the home plate umpire because of a lane violation. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Nate Molinari scores a run in the fourth inning against Mission Viejo in a South Coast League baseball game in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Hunter Sablatura, right, looks to be safe at first after Mission Viejo first baseman Keenan Anzai, left, loses his glove and ball trying to tag Sablatura in a South Coast League baseball game in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Sablatura was subsequently ruled out by the home plate umpire because of a lane violation. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mission Viejo starting pitcher Gavin Brady delivers a pitch against Tesoro in a South Coast League baseball game in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mission Viejo’s Travis Anderson, right, slides safely back to the bag as Tesoro first baseman Hunter Sablatura applies the late tag in a South Coast League baseball game in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro coach Tony Nieto, left, objects to the umpires’ call of a ground-rule double by Tesoro in a South Coast League baseball game against Mission Viejo in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro starting pitcher Coleton Dahl winds to deliver a pitch against Mission Viejo in a South Coast League baseball game in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Owen Faust slams into the right field fence as the ball bounces away in South Coast League baseball game against Tesoro in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. The play turned into a 3-run double for Mission Viejo. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mission Viejo players welcome Ben Castelli, left, back to the dugout after Castelli scored one of 3 runs on a double in the third inning against Tesoro in a South Coast League baseball game in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mission Viejo coach Daniel Holley, center, makes some player changes in the South Coast League baseball game against Tesoro in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
The ball bounces off Tesoro shortstop Jake Lambdin as he misplays a grounder by Mission Viejo in South Coast League baseball game in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mission Viejo’s Evan Ray, left, scores a run in the sixth inning against Tesoro in a South Coast League baseball game in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Tesoro catcher Carter Jorissen is at right. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Tesoro’s Justin Simard reacts after hitting a double against Mission Viejo in a South Coast League baseball game in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
“With a 3-1 count, you’re always looking to come unglued on a fastball and that’s my mentality,” Nilsen said. “That’s just a money count for a hitter.”
The Diablos (9-9, 3-1) had a rough start to the season. They had a 2-6 record at one point, but they’ve turned things around in recent weeks.
Tuesday’s win puts the Diablos in a tie with Tesoro (16-2, 3-1) atop the South Coast League standings.
“That’s a really good team. I told the guys they were going to come after us,” Mission Viejo coach Daniel Holley said of Tesoro. “It’s going to be a battle all series. It is good for us to get the hit at the end and take the first one, but we got two more.”
Tesoro pitcher Coleton Dahl was excellent on the mound, but he seemed to run out of gas in the sixth inning. The senior entered play with an ERA under 1 and 37 strikeouts in 37 innings.
Dahl allowed just one earned run on four hits Tuesday with four strikeouts through 5 2/3 innings.
With two outs in the sixth inning, Dahl hit a batter, allowed a single and walked a batter to load the bases. Mission Viejo scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 4-4 heading into the seventh inning.
Tesoro scored two runs in the seventh inning. Justin Simard hit a run-scoring double and Jackson Kemmerer scored on a wild pitch.
Brandon Woolley went 1 for 3 with two RBIs for Tesoro and Carter Jorissen went 2 for 4 with one RBI.
Mission Viejo scored its first runs of the game on a three-run double by freshman Jack Boucher in the third inning.
“He’s a special kid,” Holley said of Boucher. “I told him last week, ‘a lot of people struggle with this game and you make it look really easy.’”
The two teams will play the second game of their three-game series Wednesday at Tesoro High.
