SAN JOSE - Los Altos advanced to the CCS Division 1 championship game on Thursday by beating Wilcox 4-3 in walkoff fashion. Both teams received dominant starts from their starting pitchers, as Wilcox’s Taiga Sato went seven innings and only allowed three runs. Likewise, Los Altos’ Alex Reelfs went eight strong while also allowing three runs.
Both Sato and Reelfs threw strong seventh innings, forcing the game to go into extras. In the top of the eighth, Reelfs stayed dominant and retired the side in order. For the bottom of the eighth, Wilcox put Jairus Baddo on the mound to try and mimic what Sato did and shut down the Los Altos (20-11-1) offense.
The first hitter, Max Higareda, hit a little dribbler down the third base line that managed to stay fair for an infield hit. Aidan Kelleher followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved Higareda into scoring position and a wild pitch allowed Higareda to advance to third base. In response to the wild pitch, Wilcox put their infield in to try and prevent Higareda from advancing on any infield grounders.
Los Altos’ eight hitter, Ryan Baum, stepped to the plate and worked the count to 3-1. The 3-1 pitch was a fastball down the middle which he lined back up the middle. Baddo stuck out his glove and the ball hit the top of his glove, before rolling into the outfield allowing Higareda to score the winning run.
The scoring started in the bottom of the first, when Los Altos sophomore Ben Parker doubled to lead off the game for the Eagles. Senior left-fielder Ryan Buchne, followed the double with an RBI single to plate Parker and give the Eagles an early 1-0 lead.
The Chargers (18-16) responded right back in the top of the second when Reelfs walked and proceeded to hit the next batter. A wild pitch advanced both the runners and one scored when Kevin Downey spun a ground ball to third. Eagles third baseman, Colin Homan, fielded it and attempted to throw out the runner advancing home, but his throw hit off the glove of catcher Keenan Hanley permitting the run to score. The next hitter, Baddo, hit a little dribbler between the mound and first, and Reelfs’ only play was at first allowing another run to score to make the score 2-1 in favor of Wilcox.
Los Altos struck back in the bottom of the second when Higareda hit a ground ball to second baseman Jarrett Chapman, who dove and deflected the ball down the first base line, allowing Higareda to advance to second. Kelleher followed with a base hit that scored Higareda, tying the game at two.
Entering the third, both pitchers found their rhythm. Sato went 11 straight batters without allowing a hit, and Reelfs was dominant not allowing a run for the next three innings.
The scoring started up again in the top of the sixth, when Sato turned on Reelfs’ fastball for a double down the left field line. He then stole third and advanced home on a wild pitch to give Wilcox 3-2 lead.
Los Altos responded in the bottom of the sixth when Hanley led off the inning with a walk and was replaced with pinch-runner Zach Espiritu. Higareda followed up the single with a base-hit of his own putting runners on first and second. It looked as if Sato was going to get out of the inning after forcing two weak flyouts, but senior Matt Truscott fought hard with two strikes and delivered a two-out base hit up the middle, scoring Espiritu and tying the game again at three.
In order to get ready for the game on Saturday, Los Altos coach Gabe Stewart told the team to “get ready to have a hard practice on Friday.”
Los Altos will play Westmont, who beat Alisal 4-0, in the championship game on Saturday May 27th at 4:00 at San Jose Municipal Stadium.
