Despite out-hitting host Drake and getting fantastic pitching from Brandon Louie and Ryan Lazzareschi, the magic ran out on Washington-Fremont’s hopes for a Cinderella run in the North Coast Section Division II baseball playoffs on Saturday afternoon.
Drake senior Ryan McLaughlin, who stood tall on the mound for six and two-thirds innings, doubled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the fourth-seeded Pirates avoided being the second straight upset victim against the Huskies with a 2-1 victory. McLaughlin’s walk-off double scored Gabe Leary, who had drawn a lead-off walk to open the seventh.
Both teams scored single runs in the third inning, in a game otherwise dominated by the pitching. McLaughlin struck out 10 batters during his time on the mound, which came to an end with two outs in the top of the seventh when he exceeded the 110-pitch limit, but Sam Gaebe came on and got a groundout to end the inning. Meanwhile, Louie allowed just one run on two hits during his three innings, as the Pirates tied the game up on an Eamonn Lance ground ball to short, scoring Ian Casey.
Washington had taken a brief lead in the top of the third, when Jake Serpa walked to lead things off and Derek Marrufo doubled to put runners on second and third. After a strikeout, Gabriel Orta lofted a fly ball to right for a sacrifice fly, scoring Serpa.
Drake now advances to face top seed Alameda, which has yet to allow a run in the playoffs.
Alameda wins pitcher’s duel with Tamalpais
Seemingly playing a game of whatever you can do, I can do better, Alameda pitcher Bryan Woo threw the gauntlet back to teammate Max Nyrop with his one-hit, 10-strikeout performance in the Hornets’ 1-0 win over Tamalpais in the Division II quarterfinals.
Nyrop stifled Newark Memorial with his four-hit performance in the first round, but Woo was even better in the quarterfinals. He pitched all the way to the maximum pitch count in the top of the seventh, and made a single first-inning run stand up for the victory.
Alameda’s lone run came on a two-out rally in the bottom of the first, started by Nyrop’s infield single to short. Woo then drew a walk, and R Wong singled up the middle. An error in center field allowed Nyrop to come around and score the only run of the game. Meanwhile, Woo struck out the side in the top of the first, and never let up from there. The Red-Tailed Hawks got a runner to third base on just one occasion, when they had runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the fourth inning, but Woo retired the final 10 batters he faced.
Alameda hosts Drake in the semifinals.
Around the NCS playoffs
Senior Jacob Rossi threw five strong innings, while Isaac Woldt and Sawyer Whitney each drove in a pair of runs during 11-seed El Cerrito’s 7-3 win over three-seed Casa Grande in the Division II quarterfinals. El Cerrito now faces two-seed Maria Carrillo, who tied the game in the bottom of the seventh before downing Rancho Cotate, 4-3, in nine innings on Saturday.
Saint Mary’s ace Dan Colwell blanked two-seed McKinleyville on Saturday, 6-0, as the 10-seed Panthers advanced to the Division IV semifinals. They will face six-seed Redwood Christian, which downed three-seed Fort Bragg, 7-2. The other half of the bracket played out according to seeding, as Piedmont got a three-hit performance on the mound from junior Lucas Derr to oust Arcata, 7-1, while top seed Middletown beat El Molino, 3-1.
Juniors Cole Duey and Andrew Meyer combined on a three-hitter and Will Batz led the Berean Christian offense with a 3-for-5, three RBI day at the plate, as the Eagles eliminated three-seed St. Bernard’s, 9-1, in the Division V quarterfinals. Berean will face Branson in the semifinals.
