Soon after Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial’s Charlie Monterrosa hit his next property operate to enhance the Panthers’ lead in the sixth inning Thursday night, the 3-1 scoreline prompted an pretty much unthinkable query: Is Stockdale, the second-ranked team in the Central Part, seriously going to go out like this?
The response was a incredibly decisive no.
Adam Enyart led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, the Mustangs’ first extra-base hit of the night, and Stockdale unleashed a barrage of hits off Michael Monreal and Colby Evans, making use of 5 RBI singles to acquire a 7-3 lead. Ryan Featherston stranded a pair of Panther baserunners in the pursuing half-inning, and Stockdale moved on to the Division I portion semifinals.
“These kids just retained grinding, and grinding, and grinding,” Stockdale coach Brad Showers claimed. “We’ve had some comebacks this 12 months, so (it) will make me truly feel self-confident we’re fairly very good afterwards in the activity.”
The coronary heart of the Mustangs’ lineup arrived by, with Austin Charles, Enyart and Owen Bolich providing two hits each. Charles had two RBIs and also pitched 6 innings with 3 runs authorized.
Memorial managed six hits towards him, highlighted by Monterrosa’s two solo property runs. The Panthers experienced picked up their opening operate on a one particular-out fielder’s selection by Jack Sampson that Stockdale could not turn into a double enjoy, allowing Giovanni Blanchette to score.
No. 2 Stockdale’s comeback in opposition to No. 7 Memorial highlighted a massive day for the Southwest Yosemite League, as No. 8 Frontier and No. 6 Liberty stunned favored opponents on the road. Frontier posted six initial-inning operates and held off prime-seeded Clovis-Buchanan in a wild 17-11 shootout, whilst Liberty breezed earlier Fresno-Bullard 9-2.
Frontier will vacation to Santa Maria-Righetti, although Liberty visits Stockdale.
“There is going to be a large amount of individuals in this article,” Showers reported. “It (will) be great for this city, terrific for the baseball in this city.”
The Mustangs did not take a simple route to their semifinal berth.
Showers explained the crew was “restricted just before the video game” they wanted a several innings to settle in. Stockdale bought a little bit of great luck from Monreal in the 3rd inning, as Shane Heriford was strike by a pitch and Matt Torres reached on an error ahead of Charles drove a single into remaining-center area to even the score at 1-1.
But Stockdale was held without having a strike in the next two innings, and in the meantime, Monterrosa obtained the improved of Charles 2 times, driving a pair of deep fly balls in excess of the remaining-discipline fence. The Panthers could have experienced additional, but Charles induced a 3-4 double participate in in the fifth with two runners on.
In the sixth, the Mustangs opened an inning of impeccable hitting with Enyart’s double down the line in appropriate, then a Bolich single that scored him and designed it 3-2. They were aided by some questionable protection from Memorial a failed tag attempt on Bolich at third allowed Featherston to get on base, wherever he was driven in by Hayden Elchlepp, and then Matt Torres attained on a fielding mistake, enabling Bolich to score.
That gave Stockdale its to start with guide at 4-3 and prompted Memorial to deliver in Evans to pitch. But he allowed a operate off 3 straight RBI singles before a Bolich flyout finished the inning.
Featherston walked Joe Dalena and Sampson with two outs in the seventh, but acquired a third strikeout on Mikey Bell to near out the win.
“I just couldn’t be happier, because these youngsters have arrive alongside one another,” Showers said. “They really like each other, they struggle for just about every other, and it is genuinely helping us gain ball game titles.”
Stockdale took two of 3 from Liberty in league perform this time. The groups will face off at Stockdale on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Division I title sport.
Reporter Henry Greenstein can be arrived at at 661-395-7374. Adhere to him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.