SAN JOSE — Lincoln scored 10 runs in the first inning Friday, then held on for an 11-8 win over Piedmont Hills.
A big win for the Lions as they were two games behind Piedmont Hills earlier in the week, but after sweeping the two-game home-and-away series, they found themselves tied for first place in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. ranking.
There are two weeks and four games remaining on the regular season schedule.
“It’s great for the kids to be in a big game, it’s a great feeling to win a big game,” said longtime Lincoln coach Stuart Piraro. “But if we start hoping for a championship, we just have to worry about what we’ve done all year. It’s one game at a time now.
Piedmont Hills (16-6, 12-2) entered the week on a 14-game winning streak, which Lincoln ended Wednesday with an 8-6 victory. On Friday, the Lions quickly overturned a 2-0 lead that the Pirates took in the top of the first with a 10-run outburst, on five hits, six walks and an error, in the bottom half.
“We had some great approaches with two strikes, leverage matters, we had the right approach.” » said Piraro. “Very, very proud of the way we performed in the batter’s box today.”
Daniel Saavedra and Ryan Bernwanger hit consecutive long doubles in the power lanes to start the fireworks of the first inning. Jonas Gamez had a two-run single, followed by a walk, an error and consecutive singles. Seven runs were up with the bases loaded when Piedmont Hills was forced to make a pitching change.
Ten runs were in play at the end of the inning, even though the scoreboard only showed nine.
Piedmont Hills was understandably disappointed at that point, but continued to fight. Three runs in the third made the score 10-5. And then after Lincoln added a run in the fifth when starting pitcher Diego Casorla tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly, the Pirates added three more in the sixth to make it 11-8.
“It feels good to have a team that fights back and continues to stay in the game,” Piedmont Hills coach Ryan Clough said. “I’m really proud of the guys’ fight and their willingness to stay focused.”
Piraro brought Saavedra in from center field to relieve Casorla after the first two batters reached the sixth and Saavedra went the final two innings, collecting his second save of the week.
“Now that we’re tied for the lead and we have the top half of the tiebreaker, we need to go the next two weeks undefeated,” said Casorla, who picked up the win to improve to 3-0 this season. . “Obviously Oak Grove (Lincoln’s last opponent) is in fourth place and trying to fight for a spot, so we have to come in with the same mentality we had for this game.”
Lorenzo Collazo, Saavedra and Gamez had two hits each for Lincoln (18-3, 12-2). Gamez, Bernwanger and Joey Telucci each had two RBIs.
Catcher Gabriel Badillo had two hits and three RBIs for Piedmont Hills. Sophomore left-hander Toby Torres went the final four innings for the Pirates, allowing two hits, one run, one walk and striking out six.
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