Sophomore Jack Christian pitches in the second game of the doubleheader against Western Sierra.
The Cavs began the first game of their doubleheader against the Western Sierra Collegiate Academy Wolves on April 18, at 1 p.m.
After suffering a swift, 4-15 loss in the first game, they regrouped to try to take down the Wolves in the second game.
Little did they know, they would be on the field for almost four hours. When the second game ended, it was 7 p.m!
Just like the first game, the Wolves took an early lead, going up four runs in only two innings.
It wasn’t until the fourth that senior Zane Jakobs brought in his brother, sophomore Nate, on a ground ball to shortstop, bringing the score to 1-4.
But after a triple by Gabe Whitecotton and a single by Bradon Adams, the Wolves were up by four runs once again.
However, after Adams failed to tag up at second, the Cavs were back on offense and ready to take over.
Senior Emil Erickson hits in the second game.
The boys began the inning with singles by freshman Jackson Crawford and senior Daniel Hernried.
After an error, a ground out by senior Quin LaComb brought Crawford in, cutting the Wolves’ lead to 2-5.
With two outs and Hernried on third, senior Emil Erickson stepped up to the plate. After a foul ball, Erickson had a 2-2 count but took the next pitch and singled to centerfield, bringing in Hernried.
Following a stolen base by Erickson and sophomore Jack Christian’s reaching base off a walk, Nate Jakobs stepped into the batter’s box.
Jakobs took the first pitch and connected, homering to center and giving the Cavs their first lead of the day, 6-5.
Taking his adrenaline to the mound, Jakobs held the Wolves scoreless in the sixth, keeping the Cavs’ lead going into the seventh and final inning.
But because he had hit the pitch limit, Jakobs had to be subbed out and was replaced by Christian.
The Wolves capitalized on the change, and after a double and an error, tied up the game, 6-6, sending the game into extra innings.
After both teams went scoreless in the eighth and ninth, it was the Cavs’ turn to strike in the tenth.
They led off with a double by Crawford, followed by singles from Hernried and LaComb.
Sophomore Nate Jakobs runs to a base in the second game of the doubleheader.
With bases loaded, freshman Aaron Graves stepped into the batter’s box. After fouling on the first two pitches, the odds were in Wolves pitcher JP Cooper’s favor.
But Cooper threw four straight balls, walking Graves and bringing in Crawford to give the Cavs the lead, 7-6.
Following a strikeout by Erickson, Christian took the plate, looking to increase the Cavs’ lead with a hit.
But Christian didn’t need a hit.
Cooper walked him in five pitches, bringing in Hernried and increasing the Cavs’ lead to two.
With two outs, it was up to Zane Jakobs to give the Cavs a comfortable lead going into the bottom of the tenth. The only thing standing in his way would be Cooper.
But Cooper was tired of standing, and this time threw four straight balls, walking Zane and bringing in LaComb, giving the Cavs a 9-6 lead at the end of the inning.
After two flyouts and a strikeout by Christian, the Cavs sealed their third win of the season in a four-hour showdown.
“It was an unbelievable game,” Christian said.
“It felt amazing (when the game finally ended). Our hard work and long day of baseball had finally paid off.”
The Cavs’ next game will be Tuesday, April 25, where they will look to take down the Buckingham Charter Knights at Buckingham (188 Bella Vista Rd.) in Vacaville at 4 p.m – hopefully in less than four hours.
—By Jake Longoria
