Technically, the JV Baseball level of competition isn’t endowed with a concept of league ranking or league championship. There’s no postseason, and no official scoreboard. Technicalities aside, everyone knew that the JV Baseball Dons have been the best team in the league this season, and on Tuesday the Dons – unofficially – won the league title by collecting their 18th win. The Dons traveled to Clayton Valley Charter HS to start their last series of the year, to face a formidable Ugly Eagles team, a junior sibling to the Varsity team that’s ranked #22 in the state of California. The game was out of character for the Dons, as it was won with offensive firepower rather than shut down pitching and tenacious defense, but then a win is a win. The final score is somewhat misleading, the game wasn’t close up until the very end when Ugly Eagles tried to make it interesting by rallying in bottom 7th, but it was too little too late. The Dons were clearly the better team on that day.
The Dons wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. In the 1st, after two quick outs, Mason Zirkel dug himself out of a 1-2 hole to get a walk, and Sully Bailey followed with a short flyball to the left, and then they both advanced on a passed ball. Aleksey Volobuev stepped up to the plate, worked the count to full, and sent a sharp grounder to the right that took a funny hop and eluded 2B’s grasp for an error that scored two runs. In the 2nd, the Dons broke things open: Benji O’Rourke got beaned, Jake Boselli hit a searing line drive single to the right, and Brady Wall walked to load the bases for Keegan Goddard. Keegan took a pitch and then smashed the next one way, way deep into the RF gap for a base-clearing, 3-RBI triple. Keegan then scored himself on Everett Glass’ sac fly. After an uneventful 3rd, the Dons tacked on a run in the 4th when Jake Boselli walked, advanced on Brady’s single and Everett’s walk, and then scored when a pickoff attempt at 1st went sideways. Up 7-1, Dons thought of putting it in cruise control, but Ugly Eagles kept on fighting and clawing their way back, so insurance runs were very much needed. In the 7th, Aleksey legged out a high chopper up the middle for a single, Wyatt Cooper reached when a fielder lost the ball trying to turn a double play, and both moved up on a passed ball to set up the stage for Benji, who obliged and absolutely crushed a full-count fastball to the left for a long double, adding two more runs to the total.
As offensive outputs go, this one was rock solid. Dons ended up collecting 7 hits and 8 walks in the game, scoring 9 runs on 6 RBIs. Keagan had the biggest hit of the game with his 3-RBI triple, while also scoring and getting a walk. Benji had a double and 2 RBIs, plus a run. Aleksey had a hit, a run, and an ROE that brought two runs home. Jake Boselli crossed the home plate twice, going 1-2 with a pair of walks. Mason and Brady had a run, a hit, and a walk a piece. Sully had a hit and a run. Everett walked twice and collected an RBI. Wyatt walked and scored.
Jack Giorgianni started on the mound, all but certainly for the last time this Spring, and closed out his most excellent pitching season with another solid outing, scattering 3 hits over 5 innings, while surrendering 3 runs (2 earned), with 5 Ks. Peter Thorn closed the game out, with 2 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 2 Ks. Things got a little hairy in bottom 7th when Ugly Eagles stringed a few hits together and had the bases loaded, but Peter extricated himself out of the jam by striking out a pitch hitter on a filthy curveball outside and getting a couple of groundouts. The defense wasn’t exactly perfect this time around, but still solid, and true to the form the boys turned yet another double play, an uncommon 1-5-3 to end the 2nd.
The Dons (unofficial) championship season will come to a close when they face Ugly Eagles at home Thursday afternoon.
