Fort Bragg outlasts El Molino in NCS baseball

In a North Coast Section Division 4 first round baseball game that stretched over four days, fifth-seed host Fort Bragg finally defeated 12th-seed El Molino on Monday, 2-1, after the Timberwolves’ Andrew Johnston smashed a walk-off solo home run just inside the right-field foul pole in the bottom of the 12th inning.

“It was a fastball and Andrew was able to get the bat-head on it,” Fort Bragg (20-5) coach Roy Perkins said. “It was an all-around excellent high-school baseball game that ended with a dramatic walk-off homer.”

The game began on Friday and went into extra innings as the teams were tied 1-1 after seven innings. After 11 innings, the game was suspended due to darkness and picked up on Monday in the top of the 12th inning.

Fort Bragg reliever Marcos Hernandez earned the win by pitching a scoreless 12th. Timberwolves starter Jullian Clavelle and reliever James Garratt combined to strike out 20 El Molino batters while only giving up three hits and one run in the first 11 innings.

Sam Wilson-Mietz took the loss for the Lions (9-14) by giving up the Johnston blast. El Molino starter Patrick Atkinson went 9.1 innings and surrendered one run.

MARIA CARRILLO 5,?MARIN CATHOLIC 4

The fourth-seed host Pumas held a five-run lead after three innings and withstood a late rally by the fifth-seed Wildcats of Kentfield in a Division 2 quarterfinal.

“We just had good solid at-bats,” Maria Carrillo coach Sam Bruno said. “We jumped on Marin Catholic early and took care of the baseball up until the last inning.”

Leading 5-1, the Pumas (18-9) gave up three unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning, spurred on by two defensive errors.

Bryce Veler (7 innings, 4 runs/1 earned, 4 hits) earned the victory for Maria Carrillo. The Pumas offense was led by Bryce Cannon (2-3, 2 doubles, RBI, 2 runs), Evan Magelitz (2-3, 2 RBIs) and KC Kelly (2-3).

Maria Carrillo has won nine of its last 11 games.

CASA GRANDE 2,?REDWOOD 0

The visiting Gauchos upset the top-seeded Giants of Larkspur in a low-scoring affair to move on to the Division 2 semifinals.

Casa Grande batters struggled most of the game, striking out 14 times. However, in the top of the eighth inning the Gauchos bats came alive. Noah Bailey and Cole Santander both singled, followed by an Elijah Waltz RBI-single to plate the go ahead run. Nick Orella (2-4) then doubled in an insurance run for a 2-0 lead for Casa (15-11).

“We just had to keep grinding and capitalize on an opportunity when we got it,” Casa Grande coach Chad Fillinger said.

Joe Lampe earned the victory with 1.2 innings of scoreless pitching. Starter Mario Taormina (6.2 innings, 0 runs 4 hits, 5 strikeouts) kept the Giants at bay for almost seven innings.

ALAMEDA 14,?WINDSOR 4

In a Division 2 quarterfinal, the visiting 14th-seed Jaguars had a 4-1 lead after two innings but the wheels came off in the bottom of the third inning as the 11th-seed Hornets scored 10 runs to end Windsor’s playoff run.

“It was our worst inning of the year in our biggest game of the year so that is tough,” Windsor coach Dave Avila said. “Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong.”

At one point in the 10-run inning the Hornets had 12 consecutive batters make it on base. In addition to five hits in the inning, Windsor batters walked four and hit two batters and the Jaguars defense made two errors.

Windsor starter Gary Hall (2.1 innings, 6 runs, 5 hits) took the loss.

At the plate, Trent Matthews went 1-2 with a 2-run double to key a four-run second inning for the Jaguars (16-8-1).

Softball

ALHAMBRA 6,?PETALUMA 5

The visiting sixth-seed Trojans lost a heartbreaker in eight innings to the host third-seed Bulldogs (19-7) of Martinez in Division 2 quarterfinal.

Tied 3-3 after seven innings, Petaluma (17-8) scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning and appeared to be headed for a victory.

However, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Alhambra rallied for three runs and the win, ending the Trojans season in stark fashion.

BISHOP O’DOWD 3,?WINDSOR 0

In a first round Division 2 game, the visiting ninth-seed Jaguars (12-10) struggled at the plate and succumbed to the eighth-seed Dragons (17-4) of Oakland.

Bishop O’Dowd scored all three runs in the third inning.