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The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

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Mental errors give up championship for Paly baseball

The Palo Alto High School Varsity baseball team had
their dream season end in a heart-wrenching 6-5 loss
in the CCS division one final game on Saturday
afternoon to the Chargers of Wilcox High at San Jose
Municipal stadium.

The Vikes had an impressive run to the title game
including wins over two private school power house
baseball teams, defeating both Saint Francis and
Bellermine High schools.

The Vikings played very well but somehow couldn’t
hold a 5-3 lead in the fourth and just somehow
couldn’t hang on to the narrow lead.

The dog-pile of Wilcox Chargers players was painful
for The Vikings and Paly fans to watch, but it was
even more agonizing to Vikings closer David Stringer.

"That should have been our dog pile," Stringer said
after he absorbed the blown save and the loss for the
distraught Paly Vikes. "We came up one run short."

The chaos that would end up smothering the Vikes with
the devastating loss started with a short but
significant two run rally for the Chargers at the
bottom of the first inning.

The Vikings decided to have senior Jeremy Gillan
start the game, so they could have David Stringer
close out the game with his three remaining innings of
pitching eligibility left. After Wilcox leadoff hitter and centerfielder Alan Smith grounded out to Vikings second baseman junior Matt Wismann the run scoring rally started. Charger starting pitcher Jeff Gordon hit a solid single to
right field, followed by another line drive single to right by 1st baseman Steve Brandt. With two on and one out Wilcox shortstop Jeff Stream was hit by a 0-1 fastball by Gillan to load the bases with one out.

Wilcox catcher Cody Guinera hit a RBI single to left
field to score Gordon and put runners at the corners
with still one out brought up second baseman Craig
Nakamura. Nakamura hit a sac fly to Vikings right
fielder Mike Bianchi to score Brandt. Bianchi’s throw
to Nathan Ford was as good as it could be and an even
better throw by junior catcher Nathan Ford picked of
the Charger runner Stream off third base making two to
nothing at the end of the first inning of play.

Paly would get one of those runs back at the top of the second as Vikings left fielder senior Shane Parsons hit a double deep to left field. Vikes centerfielder senior Max Pinto placed a well hit sacrifice grounder just past Gordon to put Parsons at third with one out. Paly junior designated hitter Karl Laughton hit a sacrifice grounder in almost the same place to score Parson hustling in from third. Making the score Wilcox 2 Paly 1. Wismann hit a fly ball right into the glove of Wilcox right fielder Miguel
Zenedus.

After a perfect bottom of the 2nd by Gillan including a strikeout and two ground outs to senior short stop Russ Hagemann, Gordon pitched a perfect top of the third getting a ground out, a line out and a weak grounder back to the pitching mound.

Gillan and the Vikes escaped a near disaster at the bottom of the third. Smith singled to right, Gordon struck out, Brandt walked on four pitches, and Steam flied out to Bianchi. Cody Guinera walked the bases loaded with two out. Nakamura hit a can of corn fly ball to Pinto to end the scoring threat.

Gordon was pitching well as he pitched another 1-2-3
inning by getting two weak ground outs by Ford and senior third baseman Adam Dexter he then struck out Parson on four pitches.

Gillan allowed one hit at the bottom of the fourth on
a well hit ball by Charger left fielder Anthony Reyes,
but nothing came of it as Gillan then set the side
down in order the score was still 2-1 Wilcox.

The Vikes would score two runs at the top of the fifth inning. Pinto leadoff the inning by hitting the ball hard, but sharply to Steam who bobbled it and couldn’t
make the play to first in time. Laughton hit a soft pop of a single to center. With runners on first and second with no outs, Wismann hit a fly ball to short center field caught by Smith and Pinto was caught off second base with a trick play. With one runner on withtwo out, Bianchi hit a solid single to left putting runners at the corners for Hagemann. Hagemann hit a two run triple to deep left center field to put the Vikes up 3-2. Greenfield ended the inning with an unsuccessful drag bunt attempt.

Stringer came in to try and wrap the game up for the Vikings at the bottom of the fifth inning. After walking Gordon, Stringer set the Chargers down in order with a fly out of Brandt, and two strike outs, getting Stream and Guinera out on strikes.

To lead off the top of the sixth, Ford took a high and
tight pitch and then hit the next pitch at least 375 feet to deep left center field for a solo home run to put Paly up 4-2. Dexter grounded out to the pitcher, Parson struck out and Pinto hit a fly ball that was caught on a diving catch by Zenedus.

The Top seeded Wilcox chargers rallied against the
Vikings at the bottom of the sixth inning, as they
were the home team on the score board. The Vikings
(21-10) were winning 4-2 heading to the bottom of the
sixth inning.

Stringer walked Nakamura on four pitches. Zenedus hit
a "seeing eye" single just past a diving Wismann.
Wilcox third baseman Tosi Otuga placed down a
sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third with
one out.
Reyes hit an RBI single to right making the score 4-3
and putting runners on the corners with one out. Smith
hit triple to deep left center to score Zenedus and
Reyes making the score 5-4 Wilcox with the lead and
the momentum adrenaline pump. Gordon was thrown out by
Ford and steam struck out to end the inning.

"This is the best moment of my life," said Smith, who
was 2 for 4 with the game winning RBI. "I wanted to
get some respect so I knew I had to come up big for my
boys."

The Vikes tried their hardest and game it their all,
but came up short in the top of the seventh.

The Wilcox chargers decided to make several defensive
changes at the beginning the seventh. Gordon went to
play third base. Otuga went from third base to first
base and Brandt came in to pitch.

Laughton hit a bullet single to left. John Ginanni
came in to pinch run for Laughton but was soon picked
off at first.

Wismann struck out and Bianchi hit a ground out to
Stream to end the game. Wilcox won 5-4.

Wilcox senior Jeff Gordon got the win allowing four
runs in six innings. Brandt got the save.

"Gordon’s a fierce competitor. He didn’t have near his
best stuff but he still fought," Brandt said. "I told
him I’d save this one for him. There’s not a better
way to end it."

The Paly players have a lot to be proud of. It was a
great run and will not soon be forgotten for their
hard work on and off the field and their 21-10
impressive record.

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