Vintage comes back from pair of deficits to beat Campolindo in walk off thriller for first home win
By Kyle Foster
Twitter/X: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
It shows a lot about a team when they can overcome a deficit in a game. A team is extremely tough when they can do it more than once.
On Saturday morning at Crusher Field, this is what Vintage did as they rallied from a pair of deficits to beat Campolindo-Moraga, 8-7, in a non-league thriller.
The Crushers (3-2) came back from a 7-4 deficit in the bottom of the seventh. The rally began when Dario Freschi doubled to left center and John Bullock singled to put runners on the corners. A single by Bo Lode brought in Freschi and got Bullock to second. That was followed by a single by Sam Mautner that brought home Bullock and moved pinch-runner Stevano Snider to second. Hayden Hulquist’s single loaded the bases with one out.
“We’re still finding our way, but it seems to me that we’re having to do a lot of catching up a lot,” Vintage head coach Billy Smith explained. “So they’re finding their way. They’re getting more comfortable playing varsity baseball. At times, they don’t have a heartbeat. So you’re not sure if they’re nervous or what, but they’re playing one level and things like this happen for us right now. So it’s really good that we’re coming through like this.”
Then, Lucas Henry came to the plate and yanked a double to left field, which brought in Lode and Snider to end the game.
“Well, my teammates were telling me this guy’s all his warm-up pitches were just right down the middle,” Henry said of the final at-bat of the game. “Looks like a good speed. And Dario told me (to) just get a hang of this, pull it down to left field. Got a good piece, got it over left fielder’s head, and when I hit that, I was just hoping, like I was just saying, ‘Get over his head, get over his head’ and once I saw him turn around and put his head down, I knew.”
Vintage also scored four times in the third to tie things up at 4. Parker Dahl began the inning with a bunt single and stole second before getting to third on a throwing error. Freschi walked to set up runners on the corners. A single by Blake Porter brought in Dahl and got Freschi to second. When Lode sent a double to left-center, Freschi and Bullock scored. After advancing to third on a fielder’s choice, a Hulquist sacrifice fly to right field brought in Lode.
One of the main reasons the offense was able to score so many runs was the nice game they got from Lode. In the game, the junior first baseman was 2-for-4 with a double, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs).
“He’s just been solid,” Smith said of Lode. “We’re just trying to take a little pressure off of Sam (Mautner). So I moved Sam down a little bit to give Lode to get maybe another bat in those situations.”
Leading the Crushers’ offensive attack in the game was Freschi (3-for-3 walk, double, 2 runs scored), Porter (2-for-4 RBI), Bullock (2-for-4 double, 2 runs), Henry (1-for-3 double, run, 2 RBIs), Dahl (1-for-3 stolen base, run), Hulquist (1-for-3 RBI), and Mautner (1-for-4 RBI).
Getting the win on the bump for Vintage was Travis Larsen. The junior right-hander worked one inning where he struck out 2 and walked 1 on 19 pitches.
Henry worked 2 scoreless innings in the game. The senior lefty struck out 3 and allowed just 1 hit on 34 pitches. He was able to do this by throwing a nasty curveball with a good fastball.
“Really, just fastball and curve ball,” Henry said of his pitches that were working. “I have a change up, but it’s not very good. I spiked it to the fence, and then (pitching coach Mark) Lundeen kept calling it, and John (Bullock) kept telling him he doesn’t have one. I’m lucky that I can throw my curveball for a strike. I rely on that a lot. I was just getting the edge on the fastball and then curveball for a strike. That’s a good combo for me.”
With the win, Vintage also notched its first home win of the year. It’s something they’ve been wanting to get after dropping their first game of the year at home.
Campolindo (2-1) began the game by scoring a run in the first and then three in the third to go up 4-0. After the game was tied up, the Cougars scored three times in the fourth to go up 7-4.
Vintage will be back in action on Tuesday at 4 pm when they host Benicia. On Wednesday at 3:30 pm, Camolindo will head to Alameda to face Encinal at the College of Alameda.
