Last week was just not The Sonora Raiders week as Fullerton High gained control of the Freeway League by completing a season sweep of Sonora with a big 13-2  third and final victory over Sonora Friday afternoon on the Raiders home turf. Heading into the top of the seventh inning with a 5-2 lead, the Indians opened up the floodgates and poured on eight runs by hitting any and all holes in the Raiders’ defense.

Fullerton Coach Marc Price said it was a tribute to the hard work and focus his Indians squad has put into its season after a slow start. “It’s one game at a time, that’s what we’ve been focusing on the last three or four weeks,” Price said. “We finally stayed with our approach long enough and I don’t know whether Jimmy [Litchfield] got tired or if we finally woke up, but he was masterful through six innings, so my hat is off to him.”

The Tribe (16-9, 11-2) has now won 10 in a row while Sonora drops to 10-3.

Christian Belleque threw a complete game for Fullerton and although he gave up 13 hits, he was strong pitching out of the stretch, twice getting out of a bases-loaded jam. He finished with seven strikeouts.

Sonora starting pitcher Jimmy Litchfield endured his worst start of the season, allowing 11 total runs, 10 of them earned including a home run blast by Jackson Bluis, in 6 1/3 innings.

Sonora collected both of its runs in the third inning and took a 2-1 lead due in part to aggressive base-running by Litchfield. With runners on second and third base, Travis Sais grounded to shortstop Dominic Ficociello, who decided to try and get Litchfield out at third instead of going to first base.

The ball got away from the third baseman, allowing Litchfield to score behind Tony Cervantes. However, the lead was short lived as Fullerton scored two runs in the fifth inning on two doubles.

The Raiders collected 13 hits in the contest, but they shot themselves in the foot by grounding into two double plays, failing to lay down bunts and not hitting with runners in scoring position. In the second inning, Garret Levsen tried to score from second on a single by Mason Buster, but was called out at home.