San Ramon Valley baseball team, ignited by football hero, wins EBAL

DANVILLE — The soccer championship vibes from final fall have rubbed off on San Ramon Valley’s baseball group.

In fact, it helps that the quarterback who led the Danville faculty to North Coast Part and regional titles, Bay Space Information Group participant of the yr Luke Baker, bats within the coronary heart of the Wolves order.

Friday, with Granada 4 outs from victory within the East Bay Athletic League title sport, the left-handed hitting Baker hooked a two-run homer across the right-field foul pole to offer SRV the lead within the backside of the sixth.

Granada evened the rating within the customer’s half of the seventh.

However SRV received one other alternative within the ninth and Blake Jacobs did what he was decided to do, singling to heart with none out to drive within the championship run from third.

Closing: SRV 3, Granada 2.

“Having lots of these guys on that soccer championship group, you convey that mentality to the subsequent sport,” stated Justin Santich-Hughes, in his first season as SRV’s baseball coach. “They’ve been in these spots all fall. So for them, they’re season veterans. The soccer expertise positively helps. Our group feels that.”

SRV gained all three league playoff video games this week in additional innings, going eight to beat Foothill within the first spherical on Tuesday and Amador Valley within the semifinals on Wednesday.

Friday, SRV fell behind within the first as two errors accounted for Granada’s 1-0 lead.

However that didn’t trouble SRV pitcher Hudson Aber, a UC Santa Barbara commit who held Granada hitless till Peyton Richards stroked a two-out triple within the fifth that scooted previous diving sophomore proper fielder Marco Jones, a four-star linebacker on the soccer group.

After Tommy Brown adopted with a stroll, Aber received a strikeout to finish the risk.

“That is most likely the largest sport I’ve ever pitched in,” stated Aber, a junior. “It was actually cool. I had a tough yr final yr. Nevertheless it was nice to go on the market. Nice new teaching workers. So supporting.”

Granada’s Parker Warner made the early run rise up deep into the sport.

When the junior received the primary two batters within the sixth to floor out to shortstop, Warner was 4 outs from the championship.

However then Julian Cambra, who additionally performs soccer, reached on an infield single and Baker despatched a 1-1 pitch crusing over the fence within the right-field nook, 300 ft from the plate.

“I felt prefer it was time for somebody to make a play,” stated Baker, a junior. “I used to be simply attempting to get on base, maintain the inning going. Attempt to get a pitch to hit. And, yeah, scored these runs.”

Granada answered Baker’s house run when Warner ripped a double to heart, resulting in a run that tied the rating 2-2.

Warner pitched eight innings. Aber lasted seven.

“I’m very pleased with Parker’s efficiency,” Granada coach Corrigan Willis stated. “He, in an EBAL championship sport, stood up and pitched an incredible sport. That’s all I can say.”

SRV’s successful rally began when Cambra received hit by a pitch to open the ninth. Baker adopted with a bunt single.

Cambra then went to 3rd when the ball sailed into heart subject on a pickoff try at second.

Jacobs made Granada pay, hitting a single to heart for the walk-off winner.

“In my thoughts, I knew it was over,” he stated. “Wherever I hit the ball, that might be it. It’s superb. Being with this group all yr, watching all people develop. It’s actually been particular. We misplaced so much final yr. Very younger group and watching everybody develop into themselves this yr is a cool factor.”