Oh, What a grad Knight

Hillsdale senior Nick Strezo led the Knights to the crown, turning in his 10th complete game of the season to earn the win. Strezo relied on some sturdy and, at times, spectacular defense to be the man standing on the hill when the team celebrated with a dogpile in the middle of the infield.

“We had to miss graduation, and I can tell you that 100% getting that dogpile on the field is better than graduation,” Strezo said.

Strezo locked up with Capuchino sophomore Declan Mendel, who took the hard-luck loss with a complete-game effort. Mendel surrendered a run in the third, then got tagged for two more in the seventh. He allowed eight hits while striking out six.

“He did a great job,” Capuchino manager Matt Wilson said. “He’s been doing that for us all year. Just the way that he gets up there, you would never think the kid is a sophomore. He gets up there like he’s a freaking senior that’s been playing forever. He doesn’t shy down from any challenge. He just gets up there and goes.”

Hillsdale third baseman Ethan Belloni was a force both sides of the ball. Not only did he go 2 for 3 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored, in the field he was a vacuum cleaner at the hot corner, recording four infield assists and a clutch putout in the seventh by tracking down a foul popup over near the patio area down the third-base line for a crafty running catch.

“I saw that thing go up in the air, I didn’t even look at it,” Belloni said. “I put my head down, I sprinted to the wall, I looked up, the ball was there, I threw my glove up in the air and it landed in my glove. So, it was great.”

Belloni also cut down a run in the first inning when Cap threatened early.

Nathan Balch led off the bottom of the first with a single, and Ryan Burton kept the line moving with a one-out single to right-center, advancing Balch to third. Cleanup hitter Jacob Brewer followed with a high chopper to third, where Belloni fielded it and opted to throw home. Balch appeared to beat the throw but slid head-first to the outside of the plate, allowing Hillsdale catcher Blake Cowans to slap the tag down to peg Balch.

“[Balch] was very confident that he got in around that tag, and I trusted that he did, but they didn’t call it that way,” Wilson said. “So, yeah, it changes it big time because the momentum is completely switched and we’re not chasing.”

The out at the plate was a huge momentum swing for Hilldale.

“It was huge,” Knights manager Willie Baroncini said. “We came in the dugout focused. They knew what they had to do, and they came in hot.”

Hillsdale broke through in the third.

No. 9 hitter Santino Sylvesti led off the frame with a single to right, and Belloni followed with a hard single to center. Cap nearly escaped unscathed when shortstop Sebastian Conclara nabbed a soft line drive and tossed behind the runner at second base for a double play; it was almost a triple play as Belloni slid head-first back to first base just ahead of the throw behind him.

“That was pretty close,” Belloni said. “We had a little soft liner to the shortstop. He went to 2, I had a pretty good jump over at first. I luckily got back to first.”

Belloni’s base running loomed large as, after a wild pitch advanced him to second, he raced around to score on Aiden Sakai’s line-drive RBI single to center, giving Hillsdale a 1-0 lead.

Strezo pitched through trouble all night long. The Mustangs had runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings. But with help from his defense, Hillsdale’s senior right-hander proved an adept escape artist.

Hillsdale really flashed the leather down the stretch. Strezo set down six straight at one point, including setting down the side in order in the fourth, the only time he did so all night. Shortstop Joseph Haskins made a rangy play look super smooth with a crisp throw across the diamond for the first out. Then Belloni at third base did the same for the second out.

Then in the top of the seventh, the Knights tagged on two key insurance runs. Ethan Ganoza led off the inning with a single. Then Sylvestri and Belloni smacked back-to-back RBI triples, all but taking the wind out of Cap’s sails.

“That helped us out so much,” Belloni said. “Gave us a little cushion going into it, got the three outs we needed, and the game was over.”

Strezo improves his record to 9-2. Hillsdale’s ironman made it sound like there was no way he wasn’t earning complete game No. 10 with his championship effort.

“Willie tells me before the game it’s my game, and I take that to heart,” Strezo said. “And I try my best to go out there and pitch every inning. Going into the last inning, I knew that I was going to face the top of the lineup for a fourth time. So, I told him: ‘Hey, if I get in trouble, have someone ready’ — but I’m going to finish it.”

This was the second appearance in the CCS championship game for both teams. Cap last played for the section title in 1981, falling to St. Francis. Hillsdale to the Division III title game in 2010, losing to Menlo School.

With the title, Hillsdale advances to the CIF Northern California tournament opening next week.