PIEDMONT, Calif. – There was little breeze on a sunny, 80 degree Saturday in Piedmont, but St. Mary’s sure made it look easy in a 7-2 victory. Brandon Sanchez commanded the mound, limiting the Highlanders (8-8) to two hits while walking four, striking out seven, and allowing two runs in five innings. Marley Filson came in from the outfield to pitch the sixth s seventh, giving up one hit and striking out one.
On the offensive side, the Panthers (13-4-1) scored in every inning except the first and seventh. Max Barnett-Abrams, Eli Barnett-Abrams, and Ty Hickling each had a hit and two runs, Isaac Fendel had a hit and two RBsI, and Mateo Morales had a hit, a run, and an RBI. None of the Panthers’ seven hits went for extra bases, but the singles did the job.
Quinn Connell got things started with an RBI single in the second; Eli Barnett-Abrams got aboard to start the second via an error, and later scored on a fielder’s choice. Fendal brought home Max Barnett-Abrams in the fifth on a sacrifice fly after Barnett-Abrams walked and then made it to third thanks to back-to-back wild pitches. Throughout the game, Piedmont errors, hits up and down the St. Mary’s lineup, and walks helped set the table for run-scoring opportunities.
St. Mary’s was not immune from defensive gaffes, but Piedmont left the bases loaded in the third after scoring a run to make it 3-1, and a possible rally the next inning fizzled with a caught stealing followed by a groundout.
Piedmont also had a starter named Sanchez - Seve Sanchez. The junior hurler struck out five in four innings and allowed a modest three runs; Ryan McConathy and Will Parker had a harder time holding back St. Mary’s, and the Panthers two-run sixth sealed the game.
