Someone forgot to tell the Chaffey High School baseball team you’re supposed to be a little nervous when your school is making its first appearance in a championship game in nearly 50 years.
The Tigers lost one of the most hard-fought title games in recent memory on Saturday night, coming up short against Anaheim Katella 3-0 in 11 innings at UC Riverside.
But from the first pitch coach Max Pinedo’s team played like it belonged. The problem was so did the other team.
In the game before Chaffey’s, Righetti lost the title game in Division 3 to Walnut 14-2. Maye a loss like that is easier to take because it is obvious you’re not the better team so no matter how you would have played, your chance of winning wasn’t good.
Lose a tough one like that and you’re thinking of every little play that might have made the difference between winning and losing.
It was one great defensive play after another that kept the game scoreless through 10 innings. Chaffey third baseman Sergio Garcia made no fewer than four spectacular plays, in addition to a few tough ones.
A game of inches? Yes it is. In the sixth of a scoreless game Chaffey had a man on second and two outs. Garcia then roped a ball down the left field line that would have easily scored the runner. It was foul by inches. He struck out on the next pitch.
In the ninth with one out and a runner on second Lawrence Castaneda, who pitched seven scoreless innings on the mound and then moved to shortstop, came up with one out and a runner on second and hit a ball that sliced down the right field line, falling foul by a couple of feet. He ended up flying out to center.
The Tigers played so well it’s a shame an error to start the 11th paved the way for three unearned runs which proved their downfall.
So the Tigers, who finished with a nice 20-6-1 record, flinched first. But they still walk away with their first Mt. Baldy League title since 1995 and a first championship game appearance since 1971.
It was a tough post-game for the Tigers who had trouble holding back tears. But it was a valiant effort and one of which they, the school, the district and the Inland Valley can be proud.
Here is the link to the game story from that contest in case you missed it.
Gomez, a junior pitcher and outfielder, made the decision official today. He visited the school in August and also had an unofficial trip to Arizona his freshman year. UC Riverside had also been showing a lot of interest.