Sanchez, Rancho Cucamonga win semifinal
RANCHO CUCAMONGA » Nick Sanchez wanted the ball Tuesday morning, and he wasn’t ready to hand it off to anyone else.
Sanchez tossed a fourhitter with eight strikeouts and worked out of a small jam in the seventh inning to help the Rancho Cucamonga baseball team to a 2-0 victory over topseeded Murrieta Mesa in a CIF Southern Section Division 4 semifinal game.
Rancho Cucamonga advanced to a section final for the first time in program history. The Cougars (2211) will face Royal or Paraclete in the championship game Friday or Saturday at a site to be announced.
Sanchez, a recent graduate, has been Rancho Cucamonga’s go-to pitcher out of the bullpen. Cougars coach Tony Garcia said he thought long and hard about who to hand the ball to before sending Sanchez out for his second start of the season.
“Nick Sanchez is a bulldog. Honestly, he reminds me of Orel Hershiser with the Dodgers in 1988,” Garcia said. “I wanted to give (Murrieta Mesa) a little bit of a surprise. And Nick, whenever he has been needed, he always steps it up.”
Sanchez’s only other start this season on came April 28 against Los Osos, but he was ready for the pressure Tuesday.
“I wanted it more than anything,” Sanchez said. “I just came in with confidence, and knew I wasn’t going to lose.”
Murrieta Mesa (26-7) had a chance to get to Sanchez early. Carter Garate singled with one out, and
Makana Olaso doubled with two outs. Sanchez escaped with a strikeout and stranded the runners at second and third.
Rancho Cucamonga took the lead in the second inning. Jacob Billings led things off with a single and advanced to second on a bunt by Jacob McCombs. Wilson Dunn smacked a single to left field, and Billings scored the first run. The Cougars loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning, but Jack Kelley got a strikeout to end threat.
In the fifth, Jacob Brown was looking for a firstpitch curve, and he belted a home run to double Rancho Cucamonga’s lead.
“It’s just sweet to back up my teammate. my brother,” Brown said. “A moment like that, it’s straight from a dream.”
Murrieta Mesa tried to piece together a two-out rally in the seventh. Aidan Salcedo was hit by a pitch, and Kelley drew a walk to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Billings, Rancho Cucamonga’s ace, was ready to come in close out the game, if needed, but Garcia gave Sanchez a chance to finish off the gem.
“I looked over to the dugout. I just wanted them to stay over there,” Sanchez said about the possibility of a pitching change.
And Sanchez delivered, striking out Derek Hurtado to end the game and start a celebration on the pitcher’s mound.
Murrieta Mesa came into Tuesday’s game averaging 8.3 runs per game but was shut out for the first time this season.
“We just have to tip our cap. That kid threw a helluva game,” Rams coach Michael Wolford said. “I thought pitching and defense, we did a great job today. We just have to do a better job when opportunities are there on offense.”
Kelley went the distance for Murrieta Mesa, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four.