Serra falls in a heartbreaker

Needing two outs to capture their first-ever Northern California championship, Serra's pitching hit the wall on Saturday. Or maybe it was just De La Salle that showed why it is the top-ranked team on this side of the state.

Trailing, 4-2, the Spartans pieced together a one-out, three-run rally to beat the Padres, 5-4 and claim the Division I championship Saturday in Concord.

It was a heartbreaking ending to a magical season at Serra that saw them win a WCAL regular-season crown, roll through the CCS-Division I tournament by eventually winning the crown with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Valley Christian at San Jose's Excite Park a week ago, and win two NorCal tourney games this week to get the another chance at De La Salle.

The Spartans (29-4) were in a similar spot in mid-April when they rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh to come from behind to beat the Serra on the final day of the Boras Baseball Classic in Sacramento.

They replicated the feat on Saturday with the stakes so much higher.

After the Padres scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning on an Evan Bradshaw double that scored Jack Wessell, who was pinch running for William Walbridge after the junior first baseman led off the inning with a single, Davis Minton retired the first batter in the bottom of the seventh inning.

It quickly unraveled after that first out for Minton, who threw five innings of relief in Serra's 2-1 victory over College Park in 12 innings on Tuesday.

Ethan Sullivan singled and back-to-back doubles by Tyler Spangler and Antonio Castro tied the game at 4. The Padres intentionally walked Alec Blair, a 6-foot-6 outfielder who will play both basketball and baseball at the University of Oklahoma in the fall, to set up the force play.

They got a ground ball to the right side, but Bradshaw was forced to take the out at first base, moving runners to second and third with two out. Niko Baumgartner hit a high chopper over third base that scored Castro with the winning run.

Serra spotted De La Salle a 2-0 lead and then came roaring back in the third inning. With two outs, singles by Ian Josephson and Bradshaw set the table for Davis Minton, who doubled home both runs to tie the game at 2.

The Padres (28-7) took the lead in the fourth when Tyler Harrison led off by being safe on an infield error. He was bunted to second by Aaron Minton and scored oon Aaron Maier's single to center to make it 3-2.

Riley Lim went the first five innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He walked two and struck out two in 77 pitches of work. He gave way to Davis Minton, who threw a scoreless sixth inning.

W: Jack Sydlik L: D.Minton. 3 hits- Bradshaw (S). 2 hits- Walbridge (S), Sullivan (D), Castro (D), Spangler (D). 2 RBI- D. Minton (S), Spangler (D). 2B- D.Mnton (S), Bradshaw (S), Spangler (D) 2, Castro (D), Sullivan (D).

Division II: Yuba City 3, Saint Francis 2

Yuba City broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with the NorCal-Division II crown.

Max Guth's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh scored Cesar Guizar, who started the rally with a one-out single. Base hits by Wyatt Lane and Julian Garcia loaded the bases before Guth ended the game with his single.

After allowing two runs in the first inning, Ian McMahon was nearly perfect until allowing that seventh inning run. McMahon threw 90 pitches, allowing seven hits, while striking out five and walking just one.

The junior figures to step into a starting role next year on squad that returns most of its starting lineup.

The Lancers (22-11) jumped to a lead by scoring their only two runs in the first inning. Freshman second baseman Landon King led off with a single. He moved to third when Jack Leeper was hit by a pitch. An infield error on a grounder to the right side by Tanner Wall was misplayed to load the bases.

Gino Cappellazzo grounded one to third base. The Honkers (31-5) got the force out at the plate, but the throw to first on the attempt to turn the double play was thrown into right field, allowing Leeper to score.

A Henry Dommer single scored Wall to make it 2-0.

Yuba City scored two runs of its own in the bottom of the first inning.

W: Pelechowicz. L: McMahon. 2 hits- King (SF), Doomer (SF), Guizar (YC), Garcia (YC). 3B- Pelechowicz (YC).

Division IV: Menlo 2, Santa Clara 1

Menlo School completed a dramatic turnaround to its season by winning its 20th game in their last 21 contests to capture the Northern California-Division IV championship.

The Knights (23-8) were left for dead after getting off to a 3-7 start to the season, but found a winning formula at the midway point of the season to win the PAL Ocean Division and eventually capture its second straight CCS title, this one in Division V.

The aforementioned winning formula featured junior right hander Jackson Flanagan, who doesn't throw hard, but he has a knack for pounding the strike zone and keeping the opposition off balance.

On Saturday, he needed just 37 pitches to go four innings, allowing two hits, while striking out a batter to earn the victory.

Liam Widner (1 2/3 innings), Jack Freehill (just one out), and Ben Salama (1 inning), navigated the final three innings for the Knights.

Menlo scored its only runs in the fourth inning when KC Chavinson delivered a one-out single in a scoreless game. He moved to second on a Zach Roeder single and would eventually score on a Salama sacrifice fly.

Fletcher Cahill's base hit scored Roeder to give the Knights a 2-0 lead.

Santa Clara (29-4) got all the way to the NorCal title game after shocking the CCS selection committee by earning a No. 8 seed in the Division IV bracket and winning three straight games to bring home a CCS crown.

W: Flanagan. L: Chao. S: Salama. 2 hits- Roeder (MS), Houle (SC), Diffenderfer (SC). 2B- Freehill (MS).