NAPA, CA - In baseball it’s nice when you score more than ten runs. The Napa High baseball team did that Tuesday in its 13-3 five inning mercy rule win over Maria Carrillo.
“Different offense,” Napa coach Todd Pridy said of his team’s offensive explosion. “We hit a couple balls hard, but there was a lot of short game, there was a lot of short quick swings, line drives through the infield… aggressive at the dish, so yeah they put up another good set of runs today, but it was a different ballgame than yesterday (10-4 win over Santa Rosa), and a good one today.”
In top of the first the Pumas (0-3) scored their only three runs of the contest. Chris Latorre and Brian Orr singled to start the inning. Connor Charpiot reached on a bunt single, but a throwing error by Napa starter Omar Gonzalez brough in Latorre and moved Charpiot to third. Orr scored on a 1-2 Gonzalez wild pitch to Cody Kent. Charpiot scored on a JJ Neiman groundout for Maria Carrillo’s only runs.
“He wasn’t completely settled,” Pridy explained of Gonzalez’s rough first inning. “His big advantage is he changes speeds so dang well, and if you mix that and adrenaline at the start of the game that’s a tough combination. We need to figure out how to get a handle on that, and then I think he going to be a okay.”
The Indians (3-2) pecked away and scored two runs in the bottom of the first, and one in the bottom of second to tie the game.
In the third Napa took the lead on Max Harrison’s 2-2 wild pitch to Charles Gravett.
In the fourth the Indians scored four more runs to move the lead to 8-3.
The game ended in the fifth with Napa put up a five spot to make it 13-3. Andrew Raymond’s walk-off double brought home Brandon Herter who had the at-bat before to end the game.
Gonzalez got the win, his second of the season. He went all five innings giving up three runs (two earned). He struck out three and walked two on the day.
Charpiot got the loss. He went less than an inning and gave up three runs. He struck out one and walked one.
Napa will complete the final game of their three day back-to-back-to-back with a road game at fellow Napa Valley Unified rival American Canyon Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Maria Carrillo will host Marin Catholic Friday at 3:30 p.m.
“We’re very familiar with their coaches, we’re good friends with their coaches, so two competitive programs and a full week of baseball and I think the weather’s going to hold off for us, we’ll take our act on the road and he on down there and play a ballgame, Pridy said of the close relationship him and his staff have with American Canyon.
The Wolves will be one of Napa’s rival when next school year when all the Napa schools join the Vine Valley Athletic League.
“It’s hard to look through that lense and imagine being in a different league then the MEL right now,” Pridy added on the new league. “And then with the cast of characters that are going to be in that league with the Petaluma’s and the Casa’s and Justin (Siena) it’s going to be a reality, it’s just hard to envision. So yeah, we’ll enjoy this non league contest tomorrow with AC and go from there.”
