South City to play for first CCS baseball title

It just so happens Bernal got fired up for South City’s playoff run by watching the legendary Game 7, when Madison Bumgarner pitched his heart out in relief to carry the Giants to the world championship.

“I was just watching MadBum come out of the pen on Saturday,” Bernal said.

Just like MadBum, the Warriors (23-5) have been playing their hearts out too. Tuesday’s semifinal win advances South City to the CCS finals for the first time in program history.

“I’ve talked about the grit and the effort that these guys have put in all year, and I think it really shows when it all comes together in big games like this,” Warriors manager Matt Schaukowitch said.

Starting pitcher Emilio Oseguera showed off plenty of classic style as well. The junior right-hander battled through an early bout of wildness to work six innings and earn the win. Oseguera allowed two runs on four hits and four walks, but struck out eight while relying on his max-effort fastball.

Oseguera punctuates his fastball with an audible grunt that was echoing around the confines of Schott Stadium. The habit rekindles memories of another great fastball pitcher, the great Nolan Ryan, who used to grunt the same way as he released his fastball.

“I like to really grunt on my pitches just to get that extra velo and stuff,” Oseguera said. “Just give it all I’ve got got every inning. Even if my arm falls off or anything, just give it my all.”

Oseguera had to battle through two early jams though, as the Warriors tried to do everything they could to give away a run in the first.

Fremont leadoff man Connor Armstrong drew a walk to start the game. What followed was a comedy of errors, as Oseguera committed a throwing error on a pickoff attempt, and the ensuing throw by the first baseman to second base sailed into left field. Armstrong moved to third on the play, and nearly scored when the left fielder backing up the play overran the ball, but backtracked to keep the runner at third.

It didn’t stop there. After coaxing a popup for the first out of the inning, Oseguera nearly uncorked a wild pitch, with only a snow cone grab by catcher Yordonis Medina-Pineda keeping it from sailing to the backstop. Then after Oseguera struck out the next batter for the second out, a routine grounder saw shortstop Gabe Martin initially mishandle it, but the senior hung with the play to gun down the runner at first by a step.

Oseguera walked the leadoff hitter in each of the first two innings, and both times the runners reached third base with nobody out. Both times, South City left those runners stranded at third.

“Emilio just really threw stellar,” Schaukowitch said. “Six innings, he was in some jams, but always just came up big when he had to. ... Obviously he was amped up. So, we’ve got to tell him stay within himself and what he can do and what he can control is all he can do.”

South City got their bats going from the outset.

The Warriors jumped ahead in the first. While the outfield wall at Schott Stadium in 405 feet from home plate to straightaway center, that didn’t stop Martin from flexing his power. The left-handed hitting senior got the Warriors on the board by drilling an RBI double that two-hopped the wall in right-center to drive home Vince Bernal.

“He’s been hitting the ball well,” Schaukowitch said. “He’s a big senior, strong kid. And he continues to get better.”

Gio Bernal followed with a ground ball through the left side to drive home Martin, staking South City to a 2-0 lead. In the second, South City freshman Josh Ornales jumped on the first pitch of the inning and barreled it into the left-field corner for a double. After Oscar Reyes beat out a bunt to put runners at the corners, Oseguera delivered an RBI single to left to make it 3-0.

“My first four guys are awesome, awesome hitters,” Schaukowitch said. “But as I’ve been preaching to the kids at the end of the year here, it’s more important that — we’re going to have to execute in tighter games. And we did that today.

“We got in bunts and moved some guys over, but we also got the hits behind it,” he said. “And that’s what was able to drive those runs in.”

Fremont (22-8) got two runs back in the third. Armstrong and Kevin Kowal drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. Armstrong later scored on a wild pitch to the backstop, and cleanup hitter Kishan Shah made it 3-2 with a sharp single to left.

South City kept adding on though, and relied on some more small ball to get a run back in the bottom of the inning. Adam Keith and Josh Nabung each got hit by pitches to start the frame. After a beautiful sacrifice bunt by Medina-Pineda moved the runners up, Ornales produced a sacrifice fly to medium-deep center, with Keith flying home with a headfirst slide to up the lead to 4-2.

In the fifth, Vince Bernal led off with a single to center. Bernal promptly stole second, and Oseguera cashed in with an RBI single to left to make it 5-2 Warriors. South City added another run in the sixth when Oscar Reyes reached on an error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Vince Bernal. Two straight wild pitches allowed Reyes to score, and for Schaukowitch to hand the ball to his sophomore reliever Nabung with a four-run lead to close it out in the seventh.

“We’re still a young team,” Schaukowitch said. “I mean, that was a sophomore that threw the seventh inning. He maybe threw 15, 16 innings all year. But he’s got the stuff, and I had the confidence in him that he could nail it down.”

South City’s youngest starting player, though, is Ornales, and he made his impact felt in the game. Not only was he 1 for 2 with an RBI and a run scored on offense, he made two critical picks at first base.

The most crucial one came in the second inning. After Fremont loaded the bases with no outs, Oseguera bounced back to strike out the next batter. The big right-hander then induced a double-play grounder to Gio Bernal at third, but the throw across the diamond forced Ornales to finish the play with a difficult high backhand. The freshman picked it clean to retire the side.

“I know how it is to be a freshman on varsity, but I’ve never been in a playoff game, freshman on varsity,” Gio Bernal said. “So, for him to finally start coming through, it’s really impressive.”

Now, South City advances to the CCS finals for the first time in program history. The Warriors will face No. 1 Stevenson-Pebble Beach, Thursday night, at the home of the San Jose Giants, Excite Ballpark.

“We’re just excited to practice tomorrow and play Thursday,” Schaukowitch said.