COD Baseball scores 3 in the 9th, falls in close game with the Knights, 11-10

COD (8-19; 6-5) played a huge back-and-forth game, but surrendering five runs in the top of the second would prove to be their undoing, as the San Diego City Knights (11-11; 6-5) took the game, 11-10.

Desert would fight back in the game, having already scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth, they had the tying run 90 feet away and the winning run in scoring position when the final out was recorded. The game was a sloppy one as both teams combined for 9 errors in the field of play, 45 mph gusts would sting the eyes and cause players to turn their backs towards home plate to avoid the onslaught. 

Sophomore catcher Travis Tanaka (Honolulu (HI) St. Louis) and sophomore left fielder Jason Nall (Playa del Rey St. Bernard) had a huge day in the three-four hole in the lineup, slamming out three hits each on the afternoon. Tanaka would go 3 for 5 with two runs batted in and two runs scored and Nall went 3 for 4 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI. 

The Knights would use the windy conditions to their benefit first as they scored two runs in the top of the first. Desert would respond with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame. Freshman short stop Allan Dong (Honolulu (HI) Kalani) led off the game with a double to left and was brought home on a Tanaka ground out to keep the Roadrunners close.

San Diego City would open up the offensive flood gates as they scored five runs, on seven hits in the inning. Desert didn't help themselves with two wind-aided fielding errors in the top half of the second, giving the Knights, what appeared to be, a commanding 7-1 lead.

Desert would keep chipping away at that lead, as Roadrunners freshman right handed relief pitcher Blake Garcia (Redlands H.S.) shut down the Knights lineup in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
Desert would add a run in the bottom of the third as a Nall single to center would score Tanaka from second. The Roadrunners would add two more in the fourth as a pair of Knights wind-aided errors led directly to runs being scored. Both freshman first baseman Quinton Bidon (Enumclaw, WA) and freshman designated hitter Julian Gonzalez (Palm Springs H.S.) would score in the fourth.
Desert would plate another run in the bottom of the fifth when a two out single to left by Gonzalez would score Nall from third base to make the score, 7-5.

Unfortunately, the Knights would put two more on the board in the top of the sixth. Then Desert responded with two more of their own runs in the bottom half of the inning as freshman third baseman Nicholas Follett (Toronto (ON) Bishop Allen Academy) led off with a double to center and came home on a single to right by freshman center fielder Brandt Celli (La Quinta H.S.). Celli would dart home on a two out single to center by Tanaka to make the score 9-7, with the Knights leading.

San Diego City would add a run in the eighth and a run in the top half of the ninth, before the Roadrunners made things really, really interesting in the bottom of the ninth.

Tanaka led off the inning with a solidly hit single to right field and Nall grabbed a walk at which time the Knights head coach had seen enough and brought in their center fielder to try and get out of the two on-no one out jam. The next batter struck out and Gonzalez reached on a confounding error at second base to load the bases. After a bases loaded strike out, Follett would single to right field, bringing home Nall and Tanaka, getting Desert to within two, 11-9. 

The next batter, Celli, would grab a hard fought walk to load the bases and then as the lineup turned over, Dong collected a bases loaded walk to bring in freshman pinch runner Frank Silva (La Quinta H.S.), to get Desert to within one, 11-10. With the bases loaded and two outs, the final Desert batter would strike out swinging.

The Roadrunners hope that some "April Fool's Day" luck will be headed their way in the rubber match on Saturday, April 1st at San Diego City, with first pitch scheduled at 12 p.m.

Photo by Britney Vargas (COD Sports Information)
Information, Photos & Story provided by COD Sports Information.