Before the May 11 games, freshman Nate Jakobs believed the Cavs would have to win both parts of their double-header in order to advance to the section playoffs.
The Cavs went on to dominate the Trinity Prep Crusaders, 16-1, in their first game, but faltered in the second, falling 13-3 to the Buckingham Charter Knights.
Fortunately for the Cavs, there was a five-team tie for second between Western Sierra Collegiate Academy, Faith Christian High School, Trinity Prep, Buckingham Charter and the Cavs. The five teams were tied in all possible statistical tiebreakers.
“We were all 4-4 against each other with everyone losing two (games) to Valley (Christian Academy),” Jakobs said. “And everyone had the same run differential (which is scores-allowed).”
So how would the tie be broken?
There was a random drawing conducted by the Valley Christian Academy and Sacramento Adventist Academy coaches on the morning of May 12.
The Western Sierra Wolves were drawn, along with the Cavs, to compete in the playoffs.
After qualifying for playoffs, the Cavs have achieved head coach Chris Millsback’s goal for the season. But why did the boys look so inconsistent in their last two games of the regular season?
In the Cavs’ first game, they took a massive eight-run lead early in the game. The Crusaders tried to fire back, but picked up only one.
Jakobs said this was due to the differences in skill of the teams.
“It was clear to anybody watching that we were the better team,” Jakobs said.
And it sure was obvious.
The Cavs picked up seven uncontested runs in the second and ran away with the game, holding the Wolves scoreless until the mercy rule was put in place at the end of the fifth.
But there wasn’t much skill difference in the boys’ Buckingham matchup.
The Cavs took a one-run lead in the first and held it until the bottom of the third, when the Knights tied the game back up.
Then the Cavs immediately took back their lead in the top of the fourth and held the Knights scoreless in the bottom.
But the fifth is when the game broke open. After going scoreless in the top, the Cavs gave up eight straight runs.
“Buckingham’s bats came alive in the fifth and pulled away,” Jakobs said. “We weren’t coming back, but we put in a good effort.”
And even though the boys put up a run in the top of the sixth, the Knights sealed the deal with six more runs in the bottom.
So with the Cavs’ up-and-down play, who knows how much success they will have in the playoffs?
—By Jake Longoria
