Handcuffed for six innings, the Santa Fe Christian High School baseball team rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to forge a tie, then won the game 4-2 in the eighth.

Junior Riley Nelson was in the middle of everything. He hit into a fielder’s choice in the seventh and scored a run, then drove in the winning run with a single in the bottom of the eighth.

“They had been throwing breaking balls away the whole game,” Nelson said. “In the eighth, they threw it again, but I was guessing fastball away. I got it and adjusted.”

Nelson’s smash down the third-base line scored catcher Kyle Plasman, allowing SFC to improve to 5-3.

La Costa Canyon, ranked No. 9 in the county, dropped its fourth straight game. The Mavericks are 3-4.

“We did the same thing against Coronado,” Nelson said of the come-from-behind win. “They had us 6-5, we got some guys on base, and walked it off.”

LCC right-hander Parker Walls had SFC tied in knots through six innings.

Entering the seventh, he had retired nine in a row and 16 of 17 since a first-inning unearned run.

But Dylan Haines, who also singled in the eighth, started the seventh with an infield single.

Nelson hit into a fielder’s choice and pinch-hitter Will Cavanaugh singled. Sammy Carney hit into a fielder’s choice, but all runners were safe on an error.

Kylan Brunn singled in a run. David Harrison’s fielder’s choice drove in the tying run.

Harrison pitched the final two innings, retiring all six batters to get the win.

“This team hasn’t found its identity yet,” said SFC coach Lance Roenicke. “But we play hard, put the ball in play, and seem to come up with the big hit when we need it.”

LCC coach Justin Machado said his Mavericks are also searching for an identity after losing senior shortstop and leadoff hitter Josh Tornillo to a broken arm.

“We have a young team, sometimes starting five sophomores. Talented sophomores, but still sophomores,” Machado said. “Tornillo was a leader. We miss him and are searching to find out who we are.”

Plasman had a pair of hits for SFC and scored a run. Haines had a pair of singles. Brunn and Harrison drove in runs. Ty Glaus had a first-inning double and scored a run on an error.

Will Friedrichs had a pair of hits and scored a run for LCC, while Ryder Corti had a pair of doubles, a triple and drove in two. Jack Ferguson had a double and a walk, while Brogan Barnes singled and scored in the first inning and later scored another run.

Walls allowed just three hits over seven innings for LCC and surrendered one earned run. He struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter.

“He was really good,” Nelson said. “He had a good fastball, changed speeds and had a nice curve.

“But we managed to put together a rally in the seventh and win the game.”

Read it here in the San Diego Union-Tribune.