Vintage’s bats come to life late to beat Napa in first Big Game, pick up first league win
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
Getting a win in the Vine Valley Athletic League can be tough. From top to bottom, the league is loaded for baseball.
So, one can only imagine how rewarding it is for the Vintage baseball team to pick up their first league win of the 2022 season over their crosstown rivals on their field. This is exactly what they did when they defeated the Grizzlies 8-6.
The win is also Vintage’s first in league play. They improved their record to 6-5 on the season with a 1-2 mark in VVAL play.
“This is huge and in the back of our minds as coaches, we still have young players still learning the game,” Vintage manager Billy Smith explained.
The Crushers went ahead in the top of the seventh when Diego Davis, a Stetson University football signee, laced a triple into center field that brought in Dario Freschi and Ian Fernandez who singled and reached on a fielder’s choice. Vintage’s other run of the seventh came when Carson Hall singled and scored when Eli Rojas reached on an error.
“The coaches just wanted me being a three-hitter in a big moment,” Davis said of his seventh-inning ho-ahead triple. “We just kind of came to it and relaxed and got a fastball.”
Davis also gave the Crushers early life in the first frame with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Freschi who singled to begin the game.
“He worked hard this week,” Smith said of Davis. “He’s been struggling. He’s nervous, but he’s been working hard this week in the cages. He’s worked in the field. I just felt something good was going to happen and I’m proud of him.”
For the day, Davis went 1-for-3 with a triple and three runs batted in.
The late-inning comeback began in the fifth when Sam Gomez grounded out and Napa’s Dylan Snider airmailed the ball to third, which brought home Austin Buffler who walked to begin the inning, and Fernandez who doubled. In the sixth, a single by Rojas brought in Jacob Fiene who pinch ran for Hall after he reached on an infield single.
“We just got away from flattening the ball out and making them play catch and we had better bats,” Smith said as to what sparked the rally. “I think they were a little nervous early on. We were capitalizing on what they’d give us and then we just relaxed.”
The second saw Vintage also scores one on a sacrifice fly by Buffler that brought in Rojas who singled and moved up to third on a stolen base and wild pitch.
Leading the way at the plate for the Crushers was Fernandez (2-for-3 two doubles, two runs), Hall (2-for-3 two singles, run), and Freschi (2-for-4, two singles, two runs).
Napa (7-7, 2-2 VVAL) took their first lead of the game in the third when they scored four runs. A Snider double brought in Elliot Zuidema who walked an at-bat prior. After Leo Saldivar reached on a wild pitch on a strikeout, Snider would score. Saldivar came home on a Graham Chapouris single. Connor Ross was hit by a pitch and scored on a ball that went under the glove of Gomez.
In the fourth, a triple by Snider brought in Kaleb Matulich and Zuidema who led off the inning with a pair of singles.
Snider had an impressive day at the plate going 2-for-4 with a double, triple, three RBIs, and a run scored.
“Snider’s really becoming confident now,” Napa High head coach Jason Chatham said of Snider’s big day at the plate to lead the home squad. “Obviously, you’ve seen his transition to a switch hitter. He hit the ball from both sides of the plate well, and I’m really proud of his development.”
Others helping the cause were Taylor (2-for-3 two singles, RBI), Chapouris (2-for-4 RBI), Zuidema (1-for-2 single, run), Ross (1-for-3), Matulich (1-for-3), and Saldivar (1-for-4 RBI, run).
Following the tough loss, Chatham said that team chemistry will get Napa past this game.
“I think our team chemistry carries us through this,” he explained. “Our chemistry is is unmatched. We have an unbelievable group that is really tight-knit, really close, and this is the truest family feel I’ve felt. These guys do everything together, they care and they’re not afraid to be honest with each other and say the hard things, and they’re not afraid to pick each other up and be there for him.”
Getting the win in relief was Erik Kvidahl. The senior right-hander worked 4 and ⅓ innings striking out five and walking one. He also gave up two earned runs.
Austin Whitehead started the game for Vintage and worked 2 and ⅔ innings. The senior left-hander struck out six and allowed four earned runs to score.
Starting and getting a no-decision for Napa was Zuidema who worked five frames striking out two and walking two. He also gave up four runs, three of which were earned.
Vintage will be back in action today at 2 pm when they head to the Concord Classic to face Antioch. Napa’s next game will be Friday at 4 pm when they host Sonoma Valley.
In other VVAL games Friday, Casa Grande beat Justin-Siena 5-2 and Petaluma beat American Canyon 12-1. To view the league standings, go here.
