The Mission Bay varsity baseball squad held on for a 4-3 victory over Division III challenger Valhalla High Friday, May 26, in the CIF playoffs.
The errorless victory delivered the Bucs to the semi-finals in a battle of many evenly matched teams.
In an odd twist of the double-elimination playoffs, Mission Bay again faced Valhalla in the semifinals. Valhalla defeated Ramona in the consolation bracket to earn a berth in the semis.
But the rematch of the Bucs and Norsemen Tuesday, May 30, saw Mission Bay take a 4-1 loss. But wait ” that was the Bucs first playoff loss. So, for a third time in the same playoffs, the teams will meet Thursday, June 1, on the Bucs field at 4 p.m.
The Bucs were 26-4 while Valhalla was 24-4 when Mission Bay sent sophomore Vance Woodruff to the mound on May 26. The challenging right-hander twice retired the side with three strikeouts on his way to a complete-game victory. Senior Ian Chatfield also caught the whole game.
In the first inning of the quarter-final battle Mission Bay lead-off hitter Brian Sagun put a single into the outfield. Anthony Long added a single before MVP senior Sequoiah Stonecipher launched a sacrifice fly to the fence to move the runners over. Clean-up hitter Manny Cardeiro slapped another sacrifice fly to drive in the Bucs ‘first run.
Mission Bay added another run in the second when Jesse Moore pushed a double to the wall.
The third inning began with two more Buccaneer hits. Long and Stonecipher scored on a pair of clutch hits to put the Bucs up 4-0.
Valhalla rallied in the fourth inning with a two-run home run by their No. 1 player.
In the sixth inning, the visitors from Jamul loaded the bases with one out. A sacrifice fly scored another run for Valhalla before the Bucs got out of the inning.
The top of the seventh was just as dramatic when a one-out single put the tying run on first base. But a DH player grounded to second baseman Courtney Morgan, who flipped it to shortstop Sagun, who came across the bag before he launched it to first baseman Robbie Santos for the double-play that ended the game.
On May 30, Valhalla faced four Buccaneer pitchers. But none could quiet the Norsemen bats. Valhalla held on to a 4-1 lead while the Bucs attempt to rally in the final innings came up short.
If the Bucs win the June 1 game, they will earn a berth in the Div III CIF Championship game Saturday, June 3, at 1 p.m. on the SDSU field.
Although the Bucs finished second in Western League behind University City, No. 1 seed UC took themselves out of the playoffs with a pair of losses to Cathedral and St. Augustine High.
The Bucs’ only two league losses this season were to UC. The Bucs twice beat Cathedral but have not faced St. Augustine. One of those teams will be appearing in the championships.
Mission Bay sports information is available from the school at (858) 273-1313.