Baseball Playoffs: Rashi flirts with no-hitter as El Camino wins
The Warriors (34-7) took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series thanks to their ace while snapping a five-game losing streak in the process. Rashi did not allow a hit for seven and 1/3 innings and would allow the Vaqueros (32-9) to score just one run on three hits. He walked four and struck out 10, retaking the state lead in strikeouts from teammate Cassius Hamm.
Rashi stranded the game-tying run on base in the top of the ninth, fanning pinch-hitter NJ Omoruyi for his 10th punchout of the day.
The Warriors jumped out to the early lead as Trevor Casanova led off with a walk. With one out, Brady Dorn reached on a fielder's choice with Casanova getting erased at second base. Ryan Eastburn then stretched out the inning with a single to left field, advancing Dorn all the way to third. First baseman Connor Underwood then cashed in Dorn with a double to the wall in right field. Eastburn was waved around but great throws from Cristian Montes and Mondo Rodriguez to the plate nailed the Warriors designated hitter at the plate, limiting the hosts to one run in the first.
In the second, the Warriors added two more runs as they loaded the bases with one away. Casanova singled to left to score one run and then, with two outs, Dorn drew a walk to force in another run and put the Warriors up 3-0.
That's all Rashi needed as he allowed five base runners through the first seven innings, retiring nine in a row at one point. In the eighth, the Warriors righty struck out pinch-hitter Konner Piotto to keep the no-no intact. But shortstop Grant Mona laced a clean single into right-center for the first hit against Rashi. He got the next out on a fielder's choice but third baseman Frank Garriola smacked a triple to the wall in deep left-center to bring in Troy Viola and cut the Warriors lead to two.
But John Malott hit a chopper just in front of the plate, where Casanova pounced on it and threw to first for the third out to end the frame.
In the ninth, Montes led off with a single to left. Rashi fanned Rodriguez for the first out and then Montes advanced to second on a wild pitch. Rashi then froze Jacob Gribbin on an inside curveball for the second out.
After a fastball got away and hit Bruno Teramoto to put the game-tying run on base, Rashi struck out the side as he got Omoruyi to chase a curve down and away to clinch the game for the Warriors and put them up one in the series.
Both teams will return to action Saturday for game two with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. Should Glendale win and even up the series, the teams will play a winner-take-all game three 30 minutes after the conclusion of game two.
CCCAA Baseball Championships
Regional Pairings
First Round
Best-of-three
May 5-6 (Friday-Saturday)
Northern California (Game 1)
No. 1 College of San Mateo 18, No. 17 Los Medanos 0
No. 8 Feather River 6, No. 9 College of the Sequoias 1
No. 5 San Joaquin Delta 8, No. 12 Skyline 2
No. 4 Sacramento City 8, No. 13 Chabot 2
No. 14 Cosumnes River 10 at No. 3 Ohlone 1
No. 6 College of Marin 10, No. 10 Fresno City 4
No. 11 Cabrillo 7, No. 7 Merced 4
No. 2 Santa Rosa 13, No. 15 Reedley 8
Southern California (Game 1)
No. 1 Orange Coast (31-9) 8, No. 17 Southwestern 1
No. 8 L.A. Mission (26-13)6, No. 9 Palomar 3
No. 5 El Camino (33-7), No. 12 Glendale 1
No. 13 Saddleback 2, No. 4 Long Beach City 1
No. 14 Santa Ana 10, No. 3 College of the Canyons 5
No. 11 Cypress 9, No. 6 Santa Barbara 0
No. 7 Pasadena City (24-13) 12, No. 10 Riverside City 11
No. 2 Grossmont 9, No. 18 Irvine Valley 2