A rough top of the seventh inning which included a few errors and seven runs, was more than enough to doom the Pioneer High School varsity baseball team against Linden as they lost 9-3.
The Patriots and Linden came into Wednesday’s non-league matchup as respective league champions. The Patriots wrapped up back-to-back Golden Empire Leagues last week after taking two out of three games from Dixon.
“It was great to win the league,” Pioneer baseball coach Craig Marquez said. “You can get hot at the right time and win a section title. But to win the league, you have to remain focused for an entire five to six-week span. I told these guys how special it was to win this league, especially after losing the first two out of three games to Woodland High.”
This week, Linden High School wrapped up the Sierra Delta League thanks to a 20-0 win over San Juan.
While the Patriots will undoubtedly be upset at losing a one-run lead in the top of the seventh, the non-league clash against a good opponent provided about as much of a low-stakes game as any team will see this late in the season. It also figures to be a good trial run before the playoffs, where the Patriots are guaranteed to face off against a good team.
“It was kind of a warm-up game before the start of the playoffs,” Marquez said. “They are a darn good team over there. Their pitchers can bring it. It’s good to play a quality opponent right before the playoffs in a game that doesn’t matter. I can show the guys what it takes to focus on every pitch and every out to win at that level. If it weren’t for that one error at the end, we would have won. Thats the difference between winning and losing playoffs games.”
In the top of the first, Linden got off to a good start scoring two quick runs, but the Patriots immediately cut the lead in half when they came up thanks to a Kody Phillips RBI that knocked in Ryan Pearson, making it 2-1.
In the bottom of the third, the Patriots added another two thanks to a Hayden Newsome two-run home run down the right feild line scoring Pearson.
The Patriots managed to load the bases in the bottom of the sixth but couldn’t extend the one-run lead stranding Ajay Lucero, David Bair, and Andrew Van Court.
In the top of the seventh, things got off to a good start for the home side. A flyout, followed by a fielder’s choice that moved over the Linden baserunner to second, gave the Patriots two outs.
The next batter hit a hard ball right up the middle, but the Patriots couldn’t quite convert the throw to first, allowing Linden to tie the game up at three. After the next batter reached base, Linden hit an even harder ball right back up the middle leading to another two runs to score, making it 5-3.
A ground-rule double, followed by an inside-the-park home run blew the game open as Linden cruised to a 9-3 win.
Up next for Pioneer will be the start of playoffs. They should know who their opponent will be sometime Friday afternoon. It is still undecided if they will be in the Division 3 or 4 bracket or if the opening round will be at home or on the road.
The first game of the section playoffs is set for Tuesday, May 10.
“I’m hoping we get the first round of the playoffs at least at home,” Marquez said. “It’s really exciting, especially for these guys. We didn’t get playoffs the past two years. So I think they are going to have a fun time.”
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May 06, 2022 at 01:45AM
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Pioneer High baseball lose to Linden after long seventh inning - Woodland Daily Democrat
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