The 13th-seeded Justin-Siena baseball team could have faded softly into the evening air, and taken consolation in the fact they had given favored Cardinal Newman a good run for its money in the first round of the North Coast Section Division III baseball playoffs. Instead, the Braves shook off a late Cardinals rally, scored twice in the top of the ninth inning, and slammed the door in the bottom half, winning 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Justin-Siena led 5-2 late in the game, but Cardinal Newman forced extra innings with two runs in the bottom of the sixth and one more in the bottom of the seventh inning. After both teams were held scoreless in the eighth, the Braves broke through in the top half of the ninth.
Toby Hilliard and Tommy Lopez singled to get two runners on, with two outs, for Luigi Albano-Dito. Albano-Dito delivered a single into shallow left field to score Hilliard, and Nolan Dunkle followed with a ground ball to score Lopez and put Justin-Siena up by two runs.
Albano-Dito, who took the mound in relief of Dunkle, issued a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth, but then set down the next three batters he faced to end the game and secure the upset victory.
"We've been hearing it from everyone, even people at our own school, that today was going to be our last day of baseball," Albano-Dito told Napa Valley Register's Daniel Poulter after the game. "We know we are one of the best teams out here, but no else knows."
Dunkle, a sophomore who has been the Braves' ace all season, struck out nine batters in seven innings on the mound, but could not escape completely unscathed against a potent Cardinals' lineup led by dual-sport standout Jason Moran. Moran tripled and scored during Newman's sixth-inning rally, and then doubled to drive in the tying run in the bottom of the seventh.
Justin-Siena now advances to face Bishop O'Dowd, who defeated San Rafael, 2-1.
