By Corey Kwok
(Jackie Robinson Field, Brookside Park – Pasadena CA) – St Francis swept the season series and prevailed in walkoff fashion Friday against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, winning 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh on David Olmedo-Barrera’s towering hit to the centerfield track.
Tommy Scheper battled a full count to a walk to lead off SF in the bottom of the seventh and was safely guided over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Danny Porto, who batted in place of Pete Hofman.
Anders Schraer was intentionally walked after a 2-1 count before P J DeZotell, with his knees down on the batter’s box, poke-bunted it up third. Notre Dame tried for a force out at third but just missed as Scheper slid on-bag safely a blink before the third baseman got the ball in his glove. Lo and behold, SF now had the bases loaded with one, and Cal State Fullerton-bound Olmedo-Barrera up to bat.
Olmedo-Barrera got himself a comfortable 2-1 count and blasted it to the center field warning track well out of the outfielder’s reach to end it all and walkoff St Francis to victory. He finished 3 for 3 at bat with a run, walk, and leadoff triple in the first.
Will Larkin earned the victory in gutsy fashion, carrying a shutout into the seventh with two outs before Payton Milone pelted a game tying RBI double for the Notre Dame Knights. Larkin’s grit was put to the test often, drawing full counts on six ND batters, but he won all those battles, getting two pop-ups, a long flyout to left, one of a handful of great plays from third by Tei Vanderford, and two swinging strikeouts.
Jake Hirobayashi, a freshman who started and finished for Notre Dame on the mound versus Larkin, took the loss in another outstanding effort as he recorded either the minimum three or retired the side in four separate innings. He issued two runs, six hits, six strikeouts, and a pair of walks.
The Golden Knights, guided by head coach Aaron Milam for the sixth game this season, are 4-2 under his stewardship after starting the season 1-4 under former head coach Brian Esquival. They have mproved to 2-2 in one of the toughest conferences in Southern California – the Mission league – and are 5-6 overall.
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