Justin-Siena’s two-run sixth inning leads them past Napa for first league win
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
Being able to make a team pay for their mistakes will go a long way when it comes to winning in baseball.
It’s even more important when the league is so competitive. That’s what the Justin-Siena baseball team did on Wednesday afternoon when they defeated Napa 6-4.
The game turned when the Braves (2-2 overall, 1-1 Vine Valley Athletic League) scored two runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. After Madden Edwards was hit by a pitch and Keith Binz singled, both of them advanced a base on a balk by Aiden Chatham. After the balk, a Braden Snoke single brought home both of them and tied the game at 4.
“They’re competitive,” Justin-Siena manager Jeremy Tayson said of Napa bouncing back from the balk. “Because even though they balked, they got the next two guys out.”
“We were running our bunt defense and we had a pick play on and Aiden stepped off,” Napa skipper Jason Chatham said of the balk. “He even stepped off the mound, I was watching him closely and because I wanted to make sure that he executed what I was looking for. I was looking for execution of this pick play. I saw him step off the mound. That’s not what the umpire saw.”
During the bottom of the sixth, Justin-Siena took the lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. After a single by Edwards, a Keith Binz doubled to left-center that missed being a home run by inches. Binz then came in on a single by Max Zuntz.
The crazier thing about Binz is the fact that he was playing basketball on Tuesday night against Napa as well. This season he’s playing basketball and baseball, which has games alternating during the week.
“I have so much respect for Keith Binz,” Tayson said of the senior multi-sport athlete. “I mean, the multi-sport thing has been unique for sure. It’s not right for everyone, but Keith Benz is so reliable, so steady, and so bought into both programs that we trust him to be able to come through in those positions.”
Napa (1-3, 1-2 VVAL) score first in the game when they pushed two across in the top of the first. After being hit by a pitch, Dylan Snider came home on a Connor Ross double. Ross later scored on a Calvin Snider single.
The Grizzlies also scored two runs in the top of the fifth. Ross walked and then came home on a Cameron Taylor single. Taylor came home when Calvin Snider reached on an error.
“I think we’re at our best when we’re aggressive and we’re pushing all the buttons,” Chatham said. “A lot of Napa High teams in the 80s and 90s used to say ‘okay, we’re just going to sit back and hit the ball off the wall’. That’s not the game anymore. We have a couple of guys that could do that. But we can’t do that one through nine. I think that when we’re at our best and when you saw us scoring, is we’re mixing it up. The bats have been changed. Obviously years ago, but they’re still closer to wood. So the game is won and lost in the infield. Offensively, you have to win the short game. You had to drive balls. You’ve got to base run.”
Justin-Siena scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the first and one more in the second. In the first, Dalen Tinsley reached on a fielder’s choice before scoring on a triple by Edwards. The second inning rally started on a Snoke double before he came in on a single by Robbie Sangiacomo.
Both starters on the day got no-decisions.
Starting for Justin-Siena was David Elias. In 64 pitches, he went 4.2 innings, striking out one and walking one.
“David is a bulldog,” Tayson said of his starter. “David’s is one of the first kids I would ever say I trust with my life. He does everything right. He’s so focused all the time and he just competes his butt off.”
Getting the win in relief was Snoke. He worked 1.1 innings on the day. The junior also struck out one and walked one on 21 pitches.
Meanwhile, Dylan Snider started the game for Napa. He worked four innings on 81 pitches. In those 81 pitches, he walked six and struck out two.
“I thought that in the fourth inning, his velocity picked up and his curveball got sharper, and he stopped missing up in the zone so much in that fourth inning,” Chatham said of his junior utility player.
League play will continue for both teams on Friday afternoon at 4 pm. Justin-Siena will play their first road league game of the year when they visit Casa Grande-Petaluma. Meanwhile, Napa will head home to face rival Vintage in the first Big Game baseball of the season.
In other VVAL games Wednesday, Sonoma Valley beat American Canyon 8-2. Casa Grande also beat Petaluma 8-3. Vintage had the league bye, but faced Cardinal Newman and lost 8-5.
