Cougs claim crown: Half Moon Bay wins school's first-ever CCS baseball championship

Because “1” represented the number of runs the Cougars scored to capture the school’s first-ever Central Coast Section baseball championship, as second-seeded Half Moon Bay beat top-seeded San Mateo 1-0 in eight innings to capture the Division V title Friday afternoon at San Jose’s Excite Ballpark, home of the San Jose Giants.

“It feels good now,” said Half Moon Bay’s Ian Ehrhardt, who came up with the game’s only RBI.

“It might feel better later.”

A game that featured clutch pitching, solid — and at times, spectacular — defense, and a few physical and mental errors, was ultimately decided on the two hardest balls hit of the afternoon in the top of the eighth inning that resulted in the game’s only run.

Half Moon Bay No. 9 hitter Lane Giannini led off the inning with a booming triple to the deepest part of the ball park, hitting it about 340 feet toward the 390-foot sign in straightaway center field.

San Mateo centerfielder Tyce Copus made a valiant effort to get to the ball, but he could not quite haul it in, eventually corralling the ball at the base of the fence and relaying it back to the infield.

That turned the batting order over and brought up leadoff hitter Riley Jackson, who was walked intentionally for the second at-bat in a row to bring up Ehrhardt.

The speedy centerfielder understood the Bearcats’ decision to walk Jackson. He’s one of the best players in the Peninsula Athletic League and a first-team All-Ocean Division selection.

Ehrhardt said he didn’t necessarily feel disrespected, but he was determined.

“Let’s make him pay for that,” Ehrhardt said.

He took the first pitch for a ball before unloading on a fastball that he hammered to the same part of the park as Giannini’s blast. Again, Copus got on his horse for the Bearcats, and again he couldn’t quite chase it down as Ehrhardt pulled into second with an RBI double.

“Early in the count, he likes to throw fastballs,” Ehrhardt said of San Mateo starter Christian Louie.

“He got behind and I was looking for a fastball and I got it.”

Jackson tried to score from first, but was ultimately tagged out at the plate for the first out of the inning.

HMB manager Brian Anderson said his decision to move Ehrhardt into the No. 2 spot in the batting order was when the team started to take off — Friday’s win was the 12th in a row for the Cougars.

“First half of the year, Ian was mainly our nine hitter,” Anderson said. “Once we moved him up to the No. 2 hole … he totally transformed our lineup.”

That was the only run Half Moon Bay needed for starting pitcher Kai Kung, who was masterful Friday. He pitched a complete-game, eight-inning shutout, limiting San Mateo (21-9) to just three singles — a two-out single to Jesus Olivas in the first inning, one to Michael Lackey in the second and not again until an Olivas lead-off single in the sixth.

Wilson Morales drew a walk in the second and Apollo Lee reached on error in the third to account for the five baserunners San Mateo had over the course of eight innings.

“Fastball and curveball were working a lot,” Kung said. “I was rolling. It felt so good.

“I knew it would be a tough one; it would be a pitcher’s duel. The pressure keeps me dialed and focused in.”

Olivas’ single in the first inning and subsequent move to second on a passed ball was the only Bearcats baserunner to reach second base.

After Lee reached on an error to lead off the third inning, Kung got a strikeout — the first of 12 straight batters retired by the senior southpaw. He did not allow another baserunner until Olivas’ single in the sixth.

He wrapped up eight innings of work on just 80 pitches.

“Unbelievable,” was how Anderson described Kung’s performance. “This is what I expected from Kai. We kind of expect it every single time (he goes out there).”

Kung outdueled San Mateo’s Louie, who was the hard-luck loser. While he didn’t pile up huge strikeout numbers — he had 14 against Half Moon Bay during a regular-season game in April — he was just as efficient as Kung. Louie also went the full eight inning for the Bearcats. He allowed just four hits through the first seven innings before the Cougars touched him for three more in the eighth.

He struck out just three and walked three — two of which were intentional — and threw just 97 pitches.

Despite only seven hits, Half Moon Bay was threatening all game long. The Cougars had runners on third base in five of the eight innings, but came up empty until the end. Jackson led off the top of the first by lacing a single to right. He went to second on an Ehrhardt sacrifice bunt and to third on a groundout, but was stranded.

Cole Giannini led off the top of the third with a double, but was eventually thrown out at the plate after getting caught in a rundown on a back pick from San Mateo catcher Julio Calderon.

Ehrhardt walked and stole second in the fourth, but the Cougars came up empty. HMB’s best chance came in the fifth when the Cougars loaded the bases on a bloop single from Alex Ryan, who went to third on an errant pickoff throw. Cole Giannini reached on an error and Jackson earned his first intentional walk to load the bases.

But Louie bounced off the mound to snare a comebacker to third-base side, spinning and throwing out Ehrhardt to end the threat. The Cougars then ran themselves out of the inning in the seventh before finally breaking through in the eighth.

“It means so much (to finally beat San Mateo),” Kung said after being swept by the Bearcats in the regular season. “We’re a completely different team than when we played them.”

Ehrhardt said the win was special because of the small Half Moon Bay community, many have been playing together since their early years.

“Many of our guys have played with each other for years — back to Little League,” Ehrhardt said.

Added Anderson: “It means so much to our community.”