CSM baseball eliminated in decisive Game 3

The crucial at-bat for Sac City came with runners at the corners and two outs with CSM clinging to a 4-3 advantage. Sophomore Daniel Walsh, Sac City’s best RBI man, socked a two-run double off CSM reliever Nico Zeglin to give the Panthers the lead.

Zeglin was one of the heroes of Friday’s Game 1, delivering three shutout innings in relief of starter Sean Prozell to earn the win. Being charged with the loss Saturday, the freshman right-hander’s record falls to 6-4.

With starting pitcher Brett Karalius working 5 2/3 innings, Zeglin entered in the sixth, with one run in and one runner on, looking to stop the bleeding. It was the arm of CSM catcher Danny Carnazzo who got the Bulldogs back in the dugout, pegging Maimu Kobaya at second base on a steal attempt to end the inning and Sac City leading 4-2.

CSM then took advantage of a sloppy start to the seventh by Sac City. JJ Ota reached on an infield error and Christian Ontai got hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Alec Ackerman and Sean Prozell followed with back-to-back RBI singles to tie it 4-4. Then with two outs, Anthony Flores doubled to left to drive home Ackerman, and an error by Sac City’s left fielder allowed Prozell to score from first to give the Bulldogs a 6-4 lead.

But Sac City sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead. A leadoff single by Nik McClaughry and a double by Dan Sayre put runners at second and third with no outs. McClaughry scored on a groundout by Anthony Galati. Then after Kevin Saenz got hit by a pitch, Walsh delivered the dagger two run double.

The Bulldogs got the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the eighth. Facing reliever Cole Harrison, Carnazzo reached on a two-out error and Ackerman followed with a single to put runners at first and second. In his final at-bat as a Bulldog, though, Prozell flied out to center to end the threat.

With one on and two outs in the ninth, CSM pinch hitter Christian Stapleton struck out against closer Aaron Rund to end the Bulldogs’ season.

Harrison earned the win to up his record to 4-1. Rund was credited with his first save of the year.

Sayre went 4 for 5 on the day. Hitting safely in all three games against CSM, the freshman leadoff hitter was 7 of 15 with two doubles in the series. Ackerman paced the Bulldogs with a 3-for-5 day. Flores paced CSM throughout the series, going 5 for 11 with a pair of doubles. The sophomore outfielder out of Valley Christian-San Jose finished his community college career with a .314 batting average while hitting safely in nine of his last 10 games.

Sac City is one of four Northern California teams to advance to the Sectional playoffs, along with Ohlone-Fremont, Los Medanos-Pittsburg and San Joaquin Delta-Stockton. The two winners in Sectional play will advance to the California Community College Athletic Association final four.

Bologna, Delta moving on

Carlmont graduate Vinny Bologna powered San Joaquin Delta to another playoff series sweep as the Mustangs took down Cosumnes River-Sacramento in Game 1 Friday by a score of 12-3, and in Game 2 Saturday 11-7.

Bologna had a 15-game hitting streak snapped in the opener. But the sophomore outfielder bounced back big in Saturday’s Super Regional finale, going 3 for 4 with two home runs and four RBIs. With Delta leading 6-4 in the seventh, Bologna hit a solo homer. Then in the eighth, he clubbed a three-run shot.

Bologna is now batting .412 while leading the state throughout the regular season and postseason combined with 15 home runs and 68 RBIs.