The Cavs just beat Big Valley Christian, 8-6, winning their first playoff game in 12 years.
Well, guys, I guess we made it.
By the bottom of the second, it seemed like everything was going okay. Both teams had scored a single run in the first inning and, with no scoring in the second, neither team seemed to have a leg up on their opponent.
However, things took a turn for the worse in the third inning after the Cavs made a few errors and Big Valley Christian pulled ahead, 4-1.
In the next two innings, neither team scored, and Big Valley Christian, their lead secured, seemed likely to win.
And gracious winners they were not.
“They were extremely cocky,” senior Jaspreet Gill said. “They acted like it was going to be easy. When we made a bad play, they clapped sarcastically at (coach Chris) Millsback.”
Losing is bad, but losing to a team who doesn’t respect you is unacceptable. Something had to change.
“We got off the field and Millsback had us all gather,” sophomore David Boley said. “He told us some stuff about not making more errors and then sent us off to bat. But then (senior) George (Cvetich) pulled us back.”
“George pulled us back in and riled us up,” Gill said. “He had a lot of curse words to say about the other team. He told us that we couldn’t lose to them.”
Despite the pep talk, the Cavs had two outs and no runs scored only a short while into the 6th inning. And then something great happened.
Yes, it was the fabled “two-out rally.” In an almost unbelievable comeback, the Cavs scored seven runs in a single inning.
“We got a few big hits and their pitcher got intimidated,” Gill said. “Either that or tired. Probably a little bit of both.”
With the pitcher slowing down, the Cavs hit harder and harder, gradually carving out a solid lead.
Yet senior Dominic Stephen stressed that the offense wasn’t the only thing that won the day.
“We couldn’t have done it without (freshman) Miles (Edwards),” Stephen said.
Edwards pitched the whole game and, according to Stephen, helped the Cavs hold on to their lead.
So, with one playoff game under the belt, how do the Cavs feel to have come this far?
“It feels great,” said Gill with a smile. “We had to go through a lot of bad games to get where we are right now. It was worth it.”
“The boys have come a long way since the beginning of the year,” Millsback said. “I’m so proud of each and every one of them. This is the biggest win we’ve had in my 12 years of coaching at Country Day.”
The boys next face Stockton’s Brookside Christian in a three-game series. Game 1 is Saturday, May 16, at noon, and game 2 is Tuesday, May 19, at 4 p.m. If needed, game 3 will be played immediately after game 2.
All games are at McAuliffe Field next to Sacramento State University. The admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students.
