Napa’s best offensive game of season ruined by errors in loss to St. Helena
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
SAINT HELENA-It was a battle between two Napa County rivals.
But in a game filled with everything St. Helena prevailed, 10-6, over Napa.
Errors once again killed the Grizzlies (0-7) in this game that had so much promise, as they made a total of seven errors.
“St. Helena won the game. I want to make that clear. We’re going to say the right things, we’re going to tip our cap,” Napa coach Jason Chatham said. “But if I’m being very honest Napa also beat Napa today. I don’t know how many errors we had. There was one inning where we had five errors in the infield, and that hurt a lot. We made some mistakes all over the diamond that were either someone being out of control or somebody being unwilling to take that extra step and potentially lay out or put their body in front of a pitch that comes inside. Those little details that are kinda defined by grit, we lacked those today, and those are the things that’s the part that’s disappointing to me.”
However, Napa also scored the most runs in any game this season.
But for Chatham it’s not about moral victories at this point in the season.
“I wanna say here loud and clear now that we’re deep enough into the season where moral victories is not enough,” he explained. “If we might’ve asked that question earlier in the week that might’ve been the case. We did have a 20-inning drought of not scoring a run. We did break through that.”
To begin the game Napa scored a run in the top of the first. After doubling Trent Maher scored on a Travis Brayton single.
Then, in the top of the third the Grizzlies added four more runs to their total. After doubling Nathan Avila came home on a Brayton double. Brayton then scored when Nick Raymond singled. Cole Kipsey scored on a wild pitch after he had singled. Raymond later scored on an Austin Michie single.
From there on, the Saints (3-5) took over. They scored a run in the third, fourth, and fifth before going large with a seven spot in the bottom of the sixth.
Lucas Brandon took the loss even though he gave up only two runs, with only one of them being earned. Brandon also threw 25 pitches.
Napa starting pitcher Dylan Foster came away with a no decision. Over four innings of work he threw 90 pitches, while also allowing two runs to cross, both of which were unearned. He struck out eight and walked three, while only giving up one hit.
“I thought he threw very well,” Chatham said of his starter’s effort. “I felt constantly the same about Dylan, and I thought that he threw today with that bulldog mentality of bulldogs on his shoes. He was fired up, he was ready to go. He came into my classroom several times today, and he looked that part, and he looked that part out on the mound.”
After an off day today, Napa will be back at home for the first time in four weeks when they host Acalanes of Lafayette at 4 p.m. on Friday.
