Serra baseball loses 11-2 to Granite Bay in semifinals of Boras Baseball Classic tournament in Sacramento

Freshman first baseman Michael Ohman went 2 for 2 with a run scored, but that was the only bright spot for Serra. Granite Bay junior Connor Boese seized on the run support to record his third complete game in his last four starts, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk, with seven strikeouts. His record improves to 3-0.

Things went south for Serra (10-5) in a hurry in junior starting pitcher Kolby Clairs’ varsity debut. In the second, Granite Bay set the table when sophomore Ryan Miller led off with two free bases on a dropped fly ball. Senior Kevin DeVault followed with a sacrifice bunt, but the Padres opted to throw to third with Miller beating the throw to put runners at the corners. Back-to-back walks then pushed across the Grizzlies’ first run, before DeVault scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.

The Padres turned to reliever Aiden Waters, but the senior right-hander couldn’t stop the bleeding, as sophomore Isaac Schroeder delivered a two-out RBI with an infield single.

Serra got one run back in the top of the third, but it could have been more. Ohman and Ayden Beal led off with back-to-back singles, and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Nate Hui. Senior Aaron Minton then got the Padres on the board with a sacrifice fly to center, but Granite Bay stifled the rally by cutting down Beal as he tagged up and attempted to advance to third.

But Grizzlies kept adding on. In the third, Logan Sanchez singled home a run before Granite Bay loaded the bases, and JC Peterson walked to force home another. In the fourth, Noah Paul got hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and later scored on a wild pitch, then Dylan Tetz delivered a two-out, two run single to up the lead to 8-1.

In the fifth, the Padres got some help from the Granite Bay defense grind out another run when Donovan Friedland and Ohman tabbed back-to-back singles. Ohman’s single was misplayed by the Grizzlies’ outfield, allowing Friedland to score from first.

Granite Bay scored three more in the fifth on a three-run triple by Miller.

The Padres used five different pitchers, with three-sport athlete Jace Cannon the only one keeping the Grizzlies off the board. The junior right-hander tossed a scoreless seventh, allowing one hit and striking out one in his varsity pitching debut.

With the loss, Serra falls to the losers’ bracket, and will continue play Thursday against West Park-Roseville at 7 p.m. Granite Bay will play St. Mary’s-Stockton for the tournament championship Thursday at 7 p.m.