CONCORD, Calif. – In a year in which the high school sports landscape went through ups and downs in unprecedented measure, it was perhaps fitting that the season finale for the De La Salle and California baseball teams saw a huge comeback fall just short over the course of a three-hour matchup between two of the top teams in the NCS.
De La Salle forged ahead to a 7-0 lead after three innings and scored what turned to be two more crucial runs in the fifth, as California battled back only to fall just short, 9-8. The Grizzlies had the potential tying run on second base in the top of the seventh with one out, but he was picked off by catcher Liam Little, and Donovan Chriss erased the final two hitters to secure the victory.
“We made these last two weeks our playoffs, so everything we would normally do in a NCS year we did these last two weeks,” De La Salle coach David Jeans remarked. “They were battling for extra practice days. We played a great game 1 vs 2. It’s not easy.”
California’s standout junior pitcher Nic Bronzini entered the game 7-1 with a 1.24 ERA. Things got off to an ominous start as the first batter reached on an error. After a Blake Burke single and an Anthony Martinez walk, Little hit a deep sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. Nico Torrez had a run-scoring single two batters later.
In the second, Burke drove in Joey Donnelly with a loud triple, and scored on Little’s single. The fun continued for De La Salle (20-4) in the third as the sixth through ninth hitters all reached base safely, and three of them scored.
On the defensive side, starter Elias Gennis (6-0, 1.47) had only a couple of walks on the ledger up to that point and he was helped by two highlight-reel plays by shortstop Caleb Chance. In the fourth, however, that defense began to unravel. Gennis walked three more Grizzlies and allowed a hit, and two Spartan errors further created problems as California put up a three-spot in the inning.
“It’s always pitching and defense,” Jeans said. “We gave them some momentum, and this game is about momentum. It’s like a last minute standing kind of deal. Kids can be kids, and they start thinking they’re in control, and I’ve been in this game too long to know better.”
The Grizzlies (18-6) did more damage in the fifth and sixth, rallying against Mickey Radanovich and Will Pappas with a combination of hits, hit by pitches, safe on errors, and a walk. Kyle Olimpia’s single in the sixth brought in two runs, and he advanced to third on a throwing error and then scored on a sacrifice fly. That sequence would have given the Grizzlies the edge if not for the Spartans’ fifth inning.
Facing new pitcher Vince Piazza, Andrew Silva smacked a grounder that took a hop and careened nearly to the outfield wall. The lucky bounce allowed Silva to advance to third, and he scored on a double-play grounder after Alec Nava was hit by a pitch. Donnelly followed with a crucial double, and Burke singled him home.
In the seventh, Bronzini led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Dean Meddaugh. On a controversial play, Dom Tuyor appeared to get hit by a pitch and the ball squirreled away in the dirt. Tuyor began the walk to first. It was called a foul but during the confusion Meddaugh advanced to second. Chriss came in on a 2-0 count and with Tuyor still at the plate, Little fired it to second to nab Meddaugh. The home crowd erupted, and after that Chriss retired Tuyor – who had a couple of hits and three RBIs to his credit – on a strikeout, and Jake Calcagno on a grounder to short.
“A lot of times I get upset with them for back picking too much,” Jeans stated. “(Little) did it, he’s got the arm strength, and that really picked us up.”
“They had a lot of heart, they battled back,” California coach Dan Ward said. “It’s all you can ask for, is an opportunity to tie it up or win the game at the end. It’s the little things that you have to look back on and see and get better at.”
With the win De La Salle completed a two-game sweep of California – on Wednesday the Spartans won in San Ramon, 6-1. It was De La Salle’s 13th straight win despite committing five errors on the evening. Bronzini (7-2) took the loss for California, which dropped three of its last four to end the season.
“We approached it like a regular season,” Ward commented about the 2021 campaign. “It’s like a college or pro season where you don’t have that many days off. I think it took a toll on them, but they answered the call. Baseball’s a funny game, a couple mistakes here and there is kind of what it comes down to.”
