- El Capitan scored their 10th run in the 6th inning, invoking the Mercy rule against Sierra.
- Gauchos’ Benny Centeno pitched a complete game shutout and went 2-3 at the plate.
- The Timberwolves end their season 11-18, finishing the season with three straight losses.
El Capitan won their first playoff game since 2023 when they dispatched the Sierra Timberwolves by a 10-0 margin to advance to the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Division 3 playoffs. After winning the CCC championship for the fifth year in a row, the Gauchos sought to make a statement in this game after having lost in the first round the prior two seasons.
In the first inning, the Gauchos started things off with back-to-back singles and later were able to take advantage of an error by Sierra’s second baseman to take a two-run lead. The bats for the Gauchos took off in the 3rd inning when three straight singles loaded the bases for Noah Ruiz, who drove in two runs with the fourth straight hit of the inning. With two runners on and no outs, the Gauchos smelled opportunity. Brennen Casey dragged a bunt to third that forced a throwing error by Sierra’s third baseman. This led to another throwing error that allowed both runs to score and Casey to make it all the way to third base. Later, Casey came home on a sacrifice fly. By the end of the inning, the score was 8-0. The Gauchos would add two more in the 5th and 6th inning before winning the game 10-0 after the 6th inning.
The pitching for the Gauchos was nothing short of dominant: Gauchos starting pitcher Benny Centeno pitched six shutout innings giving up two hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. The greatest threat to the Gauchos was in the 6th inning when Sierra had two runners on first and second base with one out. The Gauchos were able to turn a double play to escape the threat.
The El Capitan offense ended the game with a total of 13 hits. The Gauchos sprinkled the hits everywhere as eight different Gauchos collected a hit and nine different Gauchos scored at least one run. Noah Ruiz and Travis Pavey each had two RBIs and scored a run.
After the game, Head Coach Aaron Ruiz reflected on the team’s preparation for the game, “We practice like we play…we do a really good job at knowing who we are and what we do, and we do a good job of taking care of business.” The Gauchos now hit the road for the second round of the playoffs. They will travel to Folsom, California on Friday, May 8, to take on Vista Del Lago High School. The Timberwolves conclude their season with an 11-18 overall record.
- Photos by Yoanna Morales. ↩︎
