SAGE CREEK’S RUN ENDS IN A CROWN
Bobcats get shutout from Caruso, five runs late to win it
Sage Creek High’s impossible seven-game run through the San Diego Section Division 2 baseball championship ended in a dogpile on the pitcher’s mound Thursday night at USD’s Fowler Park.
The 12th-seeded Bobcats scored five runs in the sixth inning and went on to beat Cathedral Catholic 5-0 and earn a berth in the Southern California Regionals.
Thursday’s win was the third game in three days for Sage Creek (20-12-1), the seventh game in 11 days, and the second championship for the Bobcats, who beat Sweetwater 2-1 in 2016 for the Division IV crown.
Sage Creek scored the five runs on two hits, two walks and a pair of Dons errors.
The Bobcats were the last team in the Division 2 playoffs and were forced play a play-in game against West Hills, the Grossmont Hills League champion, just to get to the Elimination Round.
A win over Coronado got Sage Creek into the doubleelimination part of the playoffs.
But a 1-0 loss to Del Norte on Tuesday forced an elimination game Wednesday again with Del Norte, which the Bobcats won 6-0, setting up the meeting with No. 2seeded Cathedral Catholic, which had won three to get to the title game. The Dons had
won eight in a row and 10 of their last 11 before Thursday.
Luke Caruso threw a four-hit shutout for Sage Creek in running his record to 4-0. He struck out seven, including the final out of the game, walked two and hit a batter.
“This is amazing,” Caruso said. “Once we won the play-in game, we got on a roll.
“Once we got that first run, I knew this game was
over. My plan coming in was to get ahead and pound the zone.
“Seven games in 11 days, we competed every pitch. And it worked out.”
Sage Creek left a runner at second in the first and left the bases loaded in the third when DH Elijah Stephens lined out to Dons third baseman Anthony Perritano.
The Bobcats had the bases loaded and no one out
in the fourth, but Chase Winkler lined to Perritano, who turned it into a double play.
Cathedral Catholic loaded the bases with two outs in the second, but a groundout ended the threat.
Cole Thomson singled with one out in the fourth for the Dons and Eli Selga hit a bolt into the right-field corner. But a perfect relay throw from Winkler to second
baseman Jamo Familo to catcher Sean Saiki cut down Thomson at the plate.
Winkler also robbed Thomson of a double in the sixth, racing deep and to the line to make a one-handed snag with two runners on.
“Honestly, I think the throw was the biggest play,” Winkler said. “I really didn’t have any thoughts going after the ball other than to make a good throw and hit
the cutoff man. Turns out, the catch was big, too. It saved two runs.
“Winning this means everything. Once we beat West Hills, we got some momentum.
“Everybody, from the guys who played to the guys cheering on the bench, contributed. This is a team championship.”