Skyline holds off CSM, clinches title

Both teams have one game left, but even if CSM wins on Saturday and Skyline loses, the Trojans win the tiebreaker by virtue of taking two out of three games against the Bulldogs this season.

As it turned out, the jam-packed, overflow crowd at Skyline got everything it wanted in the rubber match: a close, taught affair between two local teams with a championship at stake.

Skyline carried an 11-4 lead heading into the ninth before the Bulldogs scored six runs on five hits, highlighted by C.J. Lang's two-out double with two strikes to trim Skyline's lead to 11-9. Cody Himes, down to his last strike, followed with an RBI single.

CSM, which has shown an uncanny ability to rally in the late innings the last two years, looked like it was going to pull off another ninth-inning miracle. But Jon Kimball came in to shut the door, inducing a fly out to end things.

"Nobody said it was going to be easy," Nomicos said. "This is the best group I've ever had as a whole in regards to their mentality and work ethic. In four short years we went from the cellar to winning conference. I'm really happy for the players. I'll be around as a coach for a long time hopefully. They're only going to have one or two chances at this. It's a memory they'll have the rest of their life."

Steve Dorst won't forget this game anytime soon. Skyline's shortstop, and El Camino graduate, had a career day, belting two home runs and finishing with six RBIs. Dorst hit a two-run homer to highlight the Trojans' three-run, fourth inning, then went absolutely bonkers when he smacked a grand slam well over the left-field fence in the fifth, powering Skyline to a 9-3 lead.

CSM led 3-2 after three innings before Skyline started hitting away. Dan Hernandez reached on an error with one out in the fourth. Dorst followed with a home run to left field. Andy Worthington singled and Brandon Ramsey hit a two-run double to give Skyline a 5-3 lead.

After Al Orozco retired the side in order in the top of the fifth, the Trojans broke the game open in the bottom half of the inning. Chris Dubon singled, Ken Wardell was hit by a pitch and Aaron Davis put down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners one base. Hernandez was intentionally walked to the vacant first base spot to get to - say what? - Dorst, who promptly blasted his second homer of the day. Dorst couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"It was just disrespect," Dorst said of the intentional walk issued to Hernandez. "You have to step up in that situation. The team has been doing that all year long and in a championship game you can't ask for much more. It was scary at the end, but we got it done."

Orozco and CSM starter Chris Mezzavilla started in each of the team's three games this season. The two aces pitched to a draw in the first meeting, while Mezzavilla clearly outpitched Orozco a couple of weeks later.

The roles were reversed on Thursday as Orozco went 6 and 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs. Mezzavilla lasted 4 and 2/3 innings, yielding nine hits and nine runs, five of which were earned.

"Mezzavilla didn't have his stuff today," CSM coach Doug Williams said. "You don't want to take anything away from them because they swung the bats well. But Mezzavilla handles them the first two games and today he just didn't have his best stuff. That was the difference. It's unfortunate it happened on a day like today, but those things happen.

"It was somewhat uncharacteristic of us with the errors (three total). Those are things you have to overcome and we came up one short. But I'm as proud of this team as any group I've had in my 10 years at CSM. I'll go to war with [Mezzavilla] and Nick Epidendio any day of the week."

CSM outhit Skyline 16-13. Robbie McDonald and Dan Rosaia led the way with three hits each. Lang, Himes, Daniel Nava, Ryan Wilmer and Durell Williams added two hits each. Ramsey led Skyline with three hits and Will Vogl, Dubon, Dorst and Worthington added two hits apiece.

The Northern California playoffs start May 15. Skyline will be making its first appearance in the postseason since 1993 and will host a first round game. The Bulldogs, coming off back-to-back Final Four appearances, will likely host a game at Cañada College since their field is under construction.