Yuba City vs. Antelope: Yuba City clinches third CVC series
Mar. 31—The Yuba City High baseball team clinched its third straight Capital Valley Conference series with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Antelope Thursday, 8-6 (8 innings) and 14-10 at Winship Field on the campus of Yuba City High School.
The wins kept the Honkers (8-4, 6-2 CVC) right on the heels of CVC leader Bella Vista (8-1, 6-0). Yuba City's next two series come against two of the better teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section beginning April 11 against Woodcreek and April 18 versus Bella Vista. Bella Vista is ranked No. 17 in Thursday's Maxpreps SJS computerized poll, while Woodcreek is 28th.
Yuba City moved up 10 spots to No. 35 in Thursday's rankings.
"The CVC is a great league for baseball top to bottom," Yuba City head coach Maury Castaneda said. "Nothing is in the bag until that final out."
Yuba City was in a battle with Antelope (3-6, 1-6) most of Thursday's opener. The hosts struck first and jumped ahead 4-1 on a scoring base hit from Nathaniel Hurley to bring home Kaedin Bulock in the third.
It was a lead that held up until Antelope closed the gap to one on a two-run single off the bat of Ethan Palumbo to trim the deficit to 4-3 in the home half of the fourth. Yuba City starter Grant Fletcher made the lead last despite a couple bases loaded jams that he navigated out of to keep the Honkers up 4-3 entering the seventh.
Payton Buttacavoli drove home Bulock on a sac fly to center in the top of the seventh to give YC some insurance.
But it would not last because Antelope tied it at five in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.
"We had a mental lapse and checked out for about an inning," Castaneda said. "We went through the motions for about six outs and that cost us. Antelope is a good team, they swing it and if you make mistakes they will do it."
Yuba City responded with a scoring single from CJ Hopper to plate Sacramento State-bound Brent Gallegos and doubles from Bulock and James Garceau to push the lead to 8-5 in the top of the eighth.
"I equate us to an anaconda," Castaneda said. "Once we wrap around you, the longer it goes, the better it is for us. Even when we went into extra innings we weren't sweating it — the longer the game the better (it goes). The same for the season the longer it goes the better the kids get."
Yuba City's relief, consisting of Aaron Dalpoggetto and Cole Barrie closed the door in the bottom half of the eighth despite one given back on a single by Aric Sinor.
Barrie struck out the last two Titan hitters via the called strike to end game one for Yuba City.
The Honkers won the finale via the hit parade, 14-10 over Antelope.
Hopper, Donny Supat and Gabe Cheatle each collected two hits, with Cheatle driving home a pair in the nightcap.
Yuba City will play a doubleheader Monday in tournament action against Center at 12:30 p.m. and Lincoln at 3:30 p.m.
