MOUNTAIN VIEW – The ultimate out is rarely straightforward towards Valley Christian. It’s been that means for years.
Thursday on its residence discipline in Mountain View, St. Francis obtained the ultimate out after which celebrated in the midst of its diamond for the second consecutive week.
Seven days after clinching the West Catholic Athletic League regular-season championship, St. Francis captured the league’s postseason event, too.
There will probably be no co-champions within the WCAL this season.
St. Francis has the crown all to itself.
The Lancers edged Valley Christian 2-1 as Baylor commit Blake Rogers struck out 12 and Elias Duncan knocked in each St. Francis runs with a single up the center within the second.
It’s the primary time since 2015 that St. Francis swept the league’s regular-season and postseason championships.
Again then, St. Francis was the Central Coast Part’s high program.
Now, Valley has the proverbial goal on its again after profitable the highest division in every of the previous 4 CCS playoffs.
This season, St. Francis, ranked No. 1 within the newest Bay Space Information Group High 20, has gained two of the three video games between the groups.
“We simply compete,” Duncan stated. “That’s all we do. This was our objective at the start of the yr, to win each and carry on going at CCS and preserve working exhausting.”
Valley, ranked No. 2, reached Thursday’s last earlier within the day when it accomplished a marathon 12-6, 12-inning semifinal victory over fourth-ranked Bellarmine.
The recreation was suspended Wednesday on Bellarmine’s residence discipline due to darkness and resumed at St. Francis on Thursday with Valley main 9-6 and the bases loaded with no person out within the high of the twelfth.
Valley added three extra runs after which retired Bellarmine rapidly to advance.
The title recreation began about 45 minutes after the final out.
“I can’t give them sufficient credit score,” St. Francis coach Matt Maguire stated, “for enjoying that lengthy recreation yesterday and popping out right here at present and getting that factor achieved (towards Bellarmine) and having to take a seat round right here for 45 minutes after which popping out and competing. That’s what they do.”
Longtime Valley coach John Diatte gained his 700th and 701st video games within the first two rounds.
Rogers prevented No. 702 with a masterful efficiency.
The senior allowed three hits and walked three, together with a free cross to open the seventh. He calmly struck out the subsequent two after which obtained a dribbler up the center that Duncan, the shortstop, scooped up and stepped on second to complete the sport and ignite a celebration.
“That was superior, being on the market celebrating with my teammates,” Rogers stated. “Each little child’s dream is to be on the market within the championship (recreation) within the final inning and shut it out on your groups. It was nice.”
Maguire stated beginning pitching has been a power all season. He strongly praised pitching coach Jamie Ybarra for holding that a part of the staff on level.
“He’s achieved an unbelievable job with the employees your complete yr,” Maguire stated. “There have been some query marks about our pitching and all that form of stuff entering into. That has not been an issue. You simply have a look at the final three (league playoff) video games. Our starters went 20 of the 21 innings that we performed.”
Hunter Fujimoto’s two-out single to middle within the fifth drove in Valley’s solely run towards Rogers.
Duncan stated he might inform Rogers would on his recreation even earlier than the primary pitch.
“It’s so humorous, on recreation days he simply had this look in his eyes,” Duncan stated. “You'll be able to inform that he desires it. He’s essentially the most aggressive participant that I’ve ever performed with.”
Subsequent cease: The CCS playoffs.
The seeding assembly is Wednesday and the opening spherical is on Could 21.
And so forth.
Wyatt King, who had eight RBIs in St. Francis’ victory final week over Archbishop Mitty to clinch the league’s regular-season title, had two doubles Thursday.