Following morning win NVBC’s 17U season ends with loss to Eureka in state legion tournament
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
YOUNTVILLE-The Napa Valley Baseball Club 17-and-under team played a double header on Saturday afternoon in the California State American Legion tournament.
NVBC 11 Athletic Edge-Petaluma 8
NVBC won the first game of the day.
They had a big seven-run output in the top of the first.
As the game went on Petaluma chipped away at the Napa lead cutting it down to one run.
Napa scored four runs over the rest of the game to push them to victory. The win also means NVBC had to play the 3 p.m game for a spot in the championship game.
EUREKA EAGLES 4 NVBC 2
In the last game of the day Napa’s summer season came to an end.
For NVBC interim manager Ryan Cole he was proud with the third-place finish in a tournament where only six select teams get a bid.
“Oh, I’m ecstatic over the season,” he said afterwards. “When you play over fifty ball games and have under fifteen losses, all these kids are getting anywhere from 50 to 85+ at-bats, you know we’re trying to prepare them for high school (season) and the more time they get on the dirt the better they are. This is a fighting crew, they’ve been together for a period of time now over the years, they all gel, they know how to coach each other up, mentor, pick a guy up when he’s down, and we’re scrappy, we fight till the end and that’s what we appreciate about these boys, and they’re all good boys.”
In the top of the first the Eagles scored the game’s first run when Keenan Morris scored on a Caleb Ruiz sacrifice fly.
Napa (35-13) scored their only runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth, which was also known as the “rally squirrel” inning when a stray squirrel was roaming around the backstop area. After being hit by a pitch Alex Dehzad scored on a Brady Munson wild pitch. Later in the inning Noah Young singled and later scored when Stephen Cole singled.
Eureka also scored a run in the top of the fifth and two in the top of sixth.
Alex Dehzad, Napa’s starter, took the loss on the day. He went six innings, gave up four runs all while striking out three and walking three.
Munson, the Eureka starter, was solid on the day to get the victory on the day. He went all seven innings, struck out two, and gave up two runs.
“Brady Munson was spectacular on the mound today,” Eureka coach Matt Tomlin explained. “And that’s what he does. He pitches with great tempo, forces the other team to put the ball in play, and he lets his defense work, and the defense played great today.”
This was the second time in the last two weeks that NVBC and the Eagles have met, and Eureka won both meetings. For Tomlin, playing Napa is always good competition for his team.
“Napa’s a great team,” he added. “I’ve really got to point out that number 55 (Dehzad), he pitched today, he played shortstop, that’s one of the best baseball players we saw all summer. So great respect to their program, great respect to him, they have a terrific coaching staff, and it was just an honor to be on the same field with those guys.”
As mentioned before Napa’s season is over while Eureka will face Pacifica-Garden Grove in the championship game Sunday morning at 9 a.m. Eureka must win the first game to force a deciding game at noon.
