NAPA, CA - The Vintage baseball team defended its home field on Friday afternoon with a 5-4 win over Sonoma Valley.
The Crushers’ (3-2) got their first two runs of the day in the bottom of the first. After Max Phipps reached on an error, and Jason Brandow doubled to set up runners at second and third. An Eli Wood double brought in Phipps and Brandow.
Vintage scored two more runs in the bottom of the second. Harrison Kohagura singled and stole second. Nolan Brown reached on a fielder's choice which moved Kohagura to third. On the 0-0 pitch to Phipps Brown stole second. A Phipps single brought in Kohagura and Brown.
The final Crusher run came in the bottom of the third. Felix Ortiz singled in Davide Migotto who had doubled the at-bat before.
The Dragons’ (2-4) scored all their runs for the game in the top of the sixth when had an onslaught of four runs.
Gunner Deyoung got the win for Vintage. The senior went five-plus innings giving up three unearned runs. He walked four and struck out four.
“Gunner had almost five no-hit innings last time against AC (February 28th), and he had a no-hitter going there and the wheels kinda fell off there, and he got a little bit tired, gotta give Sonoma credit they kinda fought and pinched the score,” Vintage coach Rich Anderson said of his senior righty’s good game. “Yeah, we’re super happy with Gunner and he’s got a big upside, he’s going to get better.”
Marek Codron got the save. His only inning of work was a three up, three down inning.
“Codron is great,” Anderson added on his closer. “I love the way he competes, he’s just kinda fearless, he doesn’t care what the score is. We always joke that he’s a little bit goofy, and we love how goofy he is, but he’s super effective as a pitcher, and he has like no memory. If he gets hit one day he forgets it and goes out the next (day), if he goes 1,2,3 he doesn’t care, he forgot about it already, and he’s going to come in the next day. It is fantastic to have that mentallity as a relief pitcher.”
Come next season this will be a Vine Valley Athletic League game. Anderson is looking forward to that.
“Yeah their assistant coach Mario said ‘hey, good luck the rest of your year, til next year when you’re in our league, we’ll want to beat you every time,’” Anderson explained of playing the Dragons in the VVAL. “It’s really nice having some regional teams that we have some relationships with over the years, whether it’s Sonoma or Casa Grande, American canyon will be in our league. We don’t have to get onto (interstate) 80 anymore, it’ll be fun.”
Up next for Vintage is the start of Monticello Empire League play on Thursday at Rodriguez-Fairfield, the game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Sonoma Valley will host Tamalpais Saturday night at 7 p.m.