Taylor’s clutch two-run homer leads Napa past Vintage in first Big Game baseball of season
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
In a baseball game, there can be just one swing of the bat that changes the whole complexion of the game. When that swing happens, everyone knows the importance it can have in a game as well.
On Saturday morning at Crusher Field, it was one swing of the bat by senior third baseman Cameron Taylor that led Napa past Vintage, 3-2, in the first Big Game of the year.
Napa (3-5 overall, 1-2 VVAL) scored their first two runs in the third when Mason Bartlett singled before coming in when Taylor roped a two-run homer to left field to give the Grizzlies an early 2-0 lead.
“First pitch was a curveball and I knew they were gonna pitch it. I knew they were gonna throw me a second pitch curveball because they threw me a fastball that I hit pretty hard,” Taylor said of his at-bat where he hit the key two-run homer, his first of the season. “I just sat on as long as I could and snap my hand it was game.”
The inning couldn’t have been more perfectly drawn up. After all, everyone wants a bloop and a blast, which is what happened.
“Cam Taylor’s one of the best players in Northern California,” Napa manager Jason Chatham pointed out. “I mean, I think he’s got all the rankings and whatnot, and his bat starting to heat up. He drove a couple (of) balls a couple (of) days ago and today. I mean, he was obviously a huge difference-maker. Obviously, offensively you push those two runs across for us. The guy is outstanding at what he does. He’s very good at third base. He’s very good at short. He’s great on the mound and can swing it.”
The Grizzlies scored their last run of the game in the fourth when Drew Herbert was hit by a pitch and he got to second on a fielder’s choice before scoring on a single into left field by Logan Draper.
“Just so much positivity,” Taylor explained of Draper’s importance to the squad and what he brings to the bottom of the order. “There’s nothing better to say he’s just a power plug for our entire lineup. He’s so energetic. He’s so happy even if he’s not doing well he’ll pick everyone up, including himself and it was great to see him come through at a big moment.”
Leading the Napa offensive attack in the game were Draper (1-for-3 RBI), Nigel Clay (1-for-3 stolen base), Noah Massey (1-for-3), Cameron Taylor (1-for-4 home run, run scored, 2 RBIs), and Bartlett (1-for-4).
Vintage (4-5, 1-2 VVAL) got on the board in the fourth when Jeffrey Page singled and then scored when Alec Deharo ripped a double into the left-center gap, before getting out at third base trying to extend it into a triple.
In the sixth, the Crushers scored once more when Page reached on a single and got to second on a bad throw on that same play and then moved to third on an infield single by James Burgess before scoring on a groundout by Carson McCaffrey.
“Jefferey brings chaos, controlled chaos,” Smith said of Page who scored both runs in the game. “Something is gonna happen when he puts the bat on the ball. He just getting out of the box really well. He just makes things happen and we just need more guys I mean right now it is we need more guys doing those kinds of things.”
Vintage also missed out on some runs in the first inning when they ran into some outs on the bases that would’ve changed how things went as well. Kai Gullicksen reached on an infield single and was picked off shortly after. Then, Ian Fernandez doubled to left field but was caught stealing at third. Both these were followed by opportunities to score if the outs on the bases hadn’t happened.
“Just didn’t execute,” Smith said of the baserunning. “It’s the big game mentality. Kids are overhyped. Instead of keeping the game simple and doing what you’re supposed to do again your reads they were just out of control wanting to do what you know wanting to do more than the kid and they got us on it.”
The Crushers’ offensive attack was led by Fernandez (3-for-4 double, stolen base), Page (1-for-2 two runs scored), Burgess (1-for-2 walk, stolen base), and Deharo (1-for-3 double).
Getting the win in the game was Graham Chapouris. The senior right-hander worked 3 ⅔ innings walking 4 and striking out 1 on 62 pitches. He also allowed one earned run and gave up 4 hits. The win is also the first of the season for Chapouris.
“Chapouris, he’s really developed more offspeed pitches this year,” Chatham said of his pitcher’s development. “I think last year he was more kind of a flat, fastball guy. And now he’s, he’s able to mix a little bit more.”
Earning the save in the game was Trent Adams. The junior righty threw the remaining 3 ⅓ innings striking out 5 on 46 pitches. He also allowed a run, which was unearned.
“Trent Adams is an absolute weapon,” Chatham said of Adams who recorded his second save of the season. “We love Trent on the mound. I mean, he’s definite starter quality. I think he could be an all-league guy. But we like him coming out of the pen because if there’s any sense of trouble, Trent fills up the strike zone and he’s not a comfortable at-bat. He did a great job.”
Taking the tough loss in the game was Peyton Czekalewksi. The senior right-hander worked 6 innings striking out 6 and walking 1 on 86 pitches. He also allowed 3 runs to score, of which 2 were earned.
“Peyton was making his pitches,” Vintage manager Billy Smith said of Czekalewski’s day. “He missed a couple on cam and the first ball he missed was a curveball up and then he saw that and then we threw another curveball to him as it was in the same spot and so Hey, tip a cap guy beat you. Cameron is a good hitter, (a) good player. We’ve got to score more than two runs though.”
Miles Tenscher worked a scoreless inning where struck out 2 on just 17 pitches as well.
Since this was a makeup game from Tuesday, it means Vintage will be playing one of the weirdest doubleheaders as they will now head to Concord to face Mirimonte at 4:30 pm. As for Napa, they’ll have time to enjoy it before resuming league play next Tuesday night at 7 pm when they face Sonoma Valley at Arnold Field.
Grizzlies continue winning ways in enemy territory
Sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason as to why things happen. This seems to happen all the time, but it is still interesting.
So in the four years that a Big Game has been played on the Vintage campus, Napa is 3-1 in those games. The only loss came in the spring of 2021. The Grizzlies have also won the last two at Vintage.
“It’s just a statement,” Taylor said of winning back-to-back Big Games on the road. “You can’t put a label on it and say if we look on paper, we were the underdogs, and I knew for a damn fact that they were going to be surprised real quick and it came real quick and ended up in our favor, which was nice.”
