MORAGA — Highschool baseball in March is normally pressure-free.
Groups are tinkering with their lineups. Gamers are simply beginning to get into their groove. With each win and loss, there’s classes to be discovered for the remainder of the season.
Nobody advised that to Pittsburg or Campolindo. The 2 groups performed Tuesday’s recreation as if a bit title was on the road.
“It felt like a big heavyweight fight,” Pittsburg coach Marco Cartagena stated. “We just felt that this was a good chance to continue to move forward.”
Senior JD Wilson made the play of the sport, throwing out a tagging Campolindo runner from third base with a line drive throw from proper subject that prevented the Cougars from tying the sport within the seventh inning.
Pittsburg Excessive catcher Santino Salazar (4) tags out Campolindo Excessive’s Jonathan Wang (7) to provide them a 7-6 win throughout their recreation at Campolindo Excessive College in Moraga, Calif., on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Space Information Group)
BYU commit JJ Robinson led the Pirates as a hitter and a pitcher. The senior was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two doubles. He got here in as a reduction pitcher within the fourth inning and struck out 5 whereas permitting no runs and only one hit.
“We’re 10-0 and everyone wants to beat us,” Robinson stated. “When people see a Pittsburg uniform, we get everyone’s best and that’s a pleasure. We’re the team to beat.”
Pittsburg broke a 2-2 tie within the high of the fourth inning when Robinson knocked in Santino Valle and Santino Salazar on a crushed ball that bounced off the middle subject wall to provide the Pirates a two-run lead.
Performs like which can be what’s normally sufficient to place Pittsburg opponents away. The Pirates’ energy and velocity make it robust for opposing groups to mount comebacks.
However Campolindo wasn’t terrified of the second and the Cougars made their transfer within the backside half of the inning.
Campolindo loaded the bases early and minimize the Pittsburg result in one when junior Blake Robison was hit by a pitch, scoring sophomore Frank Polichio.
Within the subsequent at-bat, senior Jack Luster hit a bases-clearing double to provide Campolindo a 6-4 result in finish the fourth inning.
Campolindo Excessive’s Jack Luster (21) follows via on a three-run RBI double throughout their recreation in opposition to Pittsburg Excessive at Campolindo Excessive College in Moraga, Calif., on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Space Information Group)
With the house crowd fired up, the Cougars appeared to be on the verge of handing the Pirates their first lack of the season.
The Pittsburg offense had different plans.
Senior Devin Simonton tied the sport after he scored from third on an error from Campolindo on a dropped third strike. Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo commit Ty Thompson then reached house on a floor out, making the rating 7-6 via 5 and a half innings.
“Two runs is nothing for us,” Cartagena stated. “But we could have easily crumbled, but it shows the fortitude this team has. They have that grinding mentality.”
Robinson, opened the underside of the seventh with a strikeout, however then walked the following three batters to load the bases. With one out, Campolindo simply wanted to place the ball in play to attain a runner from third to tie the sport.
The Cougars did that as they hit a deep fly ball to Wilson in proper subject. Wilson, who was solely put into the lineup after a Pittsburg participant was ejected within the second inning, got here up clutch for the Pirates.
Pittsburg Excessive gamers have a good time with JD Wilson, (10) who threw out a runner from the outfield to provide them a 7-6 win over Campolindo Excessive throughout their recreation at Campolindo Excessive College in Moraga, Calif., on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Space Information Group)
With a Campolindo participant tagging from third base, Wilson threw the ball on a line to house plate in time to get the runner out and finish the sport on a double play.
“They hit the ball and I just had tunnel vision,” Wilson stated. “I almost dropped it, but I was still able to get the out at home.”
Campolindo entered Tuesday’s recreation 6-1 with its solely loss coming in opposition to Classic. Whereas coach Julian Fiammengo stated he was pleased with his group’s effort, he believes the Cougars simply made too many missteps on the finish of the sport.
“They just took advantage of our mistakes and we made too many of them,” he stated. “They just out-executed us.”
Campolindo will get one other robust take a look at when it performs Northgate (5-2) on Thursday at St. Mary’s Faculty.
Pittsburg will play American Canyon earlier than a matchup with the reigning NorCal champions Granada subsequent Tuesday at house.
“We lost to Granada last year on a walk-off, so it’s personal this year,” Robinson stated. “We want that game bad.”
Initially Printed: March 25, 2025 at 10:24 PM PDT
