Freshman Baseball Update, Game 9

After putting a couple of notches in the win column, the Campolindo freshman baseball squad went on the road to Walnut Creek to face Northgate.  For the only time all season, the freshman and varsity squads would play games within sight of each other.  Unfortunately, while the varsity team played well on Northgate’s main field to earn a close win, just a medium fly ball away across the blacktop the freshmen dropped a listless game.

The contest began well, with our picture stifling hitters and receiving solid defense.  One of the early highlights was our right fielder throwing out a runner trying to score from third on a fly ball.  The offense could not get going against Northgate’s starting pitcher, though.  Michael managed to drop a single into center field in the third inning for Campo’s first hit, but he could not score.  Northgate then jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on the strength of five singles and a throwing error from Michael.

Campo got three of the runs back in fifth inning with a two-out rally as Northgate’s pitcher tired.  Michael’s backup came into the game to start the rally by getting on via an error, which was followed by a walk and three singles before Northgate could close the door.  Northgate tacked on a last run in the bottom of the sixth inning when the last batter in their lineup worked a walk, stole two bases and scored on a wild pitch.

Nobody understood why the team came out so flat.  As has often been the case over the years, without hits and runs early in the game, the team dropped into a funk that they could not break  until the opposing pitcher ran out of gas.  Northgate was a good team, but about equal to the Campo boys on talent, and they knew they had let an opportunity for a win slip away.

They also knew they had to get over it quickly, because a doubleheader against archrival Miramonte, where the boys would play on the Campolindo varsity field for the first time, was up next.