High school baseball: Sophomore comes through for Buchanan, sending Bears to title game
A 6-0 lead by No. 2 seed Buchanan High on Tuesday in the Central Section baseball semifinals seemed safe.
But No. 3 Stockdale wasn’t about to allow the season to end quietly.
The Mustangs chipped away and sent the game into extra innings by scoring a run in the top of the seventh inning.
That set the hero’s stage for Bears sophomore Tyler O’Toole.
His bases-loaded, walk-off single in the ninth inning gave Buchanan a 7-6 victory.
The Bears will face No. 9 Centennial, which defeated No. 4 Redwood 8-1.
Buchanan and Centennial will meet at 7 p.m. Saturday at Valley Strong Ballpark in Visalia.
To add to O’Toole’s clutch hit, he pitched four innings to earn the win.
Division II
No. 1 Bakersfield Christian and No. 3 Cabrillo will meet in the title game.
Division III
It’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the championship.
Top-seed Kingsburg defeated No. 4 Pioneer Valley 1-0.
Ethan Winslow went the distance to earn the win and Bodhi Verners drove in the lone run for the Vikings on a home run in the fourth inning.
No. 2 Dos Palos defeated No. 6 Dinuba 4-3.
Drake Hennagan had a solo home run in the sixth inning to tie the game at 3.
Mason Soares drove in Will Montemurro with the winning run.
Division IV
Matthew Prado went the distance to lead top-seeded Liberty-Madera Ranchos to a 10-0 victory over No. 4 Hoover.
The Hawks will play No. 3 Immanuel in the title game.
The Eagles defeated No. 7 Reedley 8-7.
Division V
No. 2 Firebaugh will meet No. 13 East Bakersfield in the championship.
The Eagles defeated No. 11 Monache 4-1.
No. 13 East outlasted No. 1 Chavez 3-1.
Division VI
No. 8 Orange Cove rallied for an 11-9 victory over No. 5 Torres.
The Titans trailed 6-0 in the third inning, but scored two runs each in the fourth and sixth innings.
Orange Cove continued the rally in the seventh inning with four runs for an 8-7 lead.
Torres sent the game into extra innings with a run. The Titans then scored three runs in the ninth inning.
Orange Cove will see No. 6 Woodlake in the title game.
The Tigers defeated No. 2 Kern Valley 6-5.
Eli Lang had a two-run home run for Woodlake in the seventh inning.
Scores/schedule
Division I
No. 9 Centennial 8, No. 4 Redwood 1
No. 2 Buchanan 7, No. 3 Stockdale 6
Division II
No. 1 Bakersfield Christian 5, No. 12 Lompoc 1
No. 3 Cabrillo 2, No. 7 St. Joseph 1
Division III
No. 1 Kingsburg 1, No. 4 Pioneer Valley 0
No. 2 Dos Palos 4, No. 6 Dinuba 3
Division IV
No. 1 Liberty-Madera Ranchos 10, No. 4 Hoover 0
No. 3 Immanuel 8, No. 7 Reedley 7
Division V
No. 13 East Bakersfield 3, No. 1 Chavez 1
No. 2 Firebaugh 4, No. 11 Monache 1
Division VI
No. 8 Orange Cove 11, No. 5 Torres 9
No. 6 Woodlake 6, No. 2 Kern Valley 5
Championships
At Valley Strong Ballpark in Visalia
Thursday
Division III
No. 1 Kingsburg vs. No. 2 Dos Palos, 7 p.m.
Friday
Division V
No. 2 Firebaugh vs. No. 13 East Bakersfield, 4 p.m.
Division II
No. 1 Bakersfield Christian vs. No. 2 Cabrillo, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Division VI
No. 6 Woodlake vs. No. 8 Orange Cove, noon
Division IV
No. 1 Liberty-Madera Ranchos vs. No. 3 Immanuel, 3:30 p.m.
Division I
No. 2 Buchanan vs. No. 9 Centennial, 7:30 p.m.
