COS Baseball Earns Gritty Extra-Inning Win Over Merced
| Final (12) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 1 |
VISALIA, Calif. – College of the Sequoias outlasted Merced in an extra-inning battle, walking off with a 3-2 win in 12 innings on Tuesday afternoon.
The Giants (17-15, 11-5 CVC) used timely pitching and late-game execution to secure the victory, earning a key conference win at home.
College of the Sequoias struck first in the second inning when Caleb Catalano (San Francisco) delivered an RBI double to left, scoring Solomon Anderson to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.
Merced responded in the sixth, capitalizing on a wild pitch to tie the game before taking a 2-1 lead on an RBI single later in the inning.
The Giants answered in the seventh as Jaxon Griffiths (Redwood HS) took a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Jason Lopez (Fowler HS). Griffiths later advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a balk to even the game at 2-2.
From there, both teams traded scoreless innings as the pitching staffs took control. Hudson Groh (Liberty HS) gave Sequoias a strong start, allowing just two runs (one earned) over seven innings while striking out four. The bullpen combination of Zachery Tackett (Kingsburg HS), Chance Jasso (Redwood HS), Jordan Ver Steeg (Mt. Whitney HS), and Carson Hindmarsh held Merced to just one hit over the final five innings to keep the game tied.
In the bottom of the 12th, Sequoias capitalized on an opportunity to end it. Aiden Medina (Hoover HS) reached on an error and moved to third, while Kadyn Kirkley (Bakersfield Christian HS) singled to put runners on the corners. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Solomon Anderson drew a walk to force in the winning run, sealing the 3-2 victory.
"We stayed patient and kept putting together competitive at-bats," Head Coach Scott Laird said. "Our pitching staff did a great job keeping us in it, and I liked how we handled the pressure late in the game."
College of the Sequoias finished with 10 hits on the day, with Walker Selley, Joshua Barajas (Central East HS), and Hayden Elchlepp (Stockdale HS) each recording multiple hits.
"This was a gritty win," Laird added. "Games like this can go either way, but our guys stayed composed and found a way to get it done."
On Deck
The Giants continues the series against Merced today on the road with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m. The Giants will then return home on Thursday to host Merced at 2:00 p.m.
Looking ahead, Sequoias will be back at home next Monday and Tuesday, hosting Taft and Fresno City, with both games scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
