East County Sports

Griffins win state championship debut

Holdgrafer is congratulated following an inning on Saturday.

2017 GROSSMONT GRIFFINS BASEBALL

 

By Ramon Scott

EastCountySports.com

 

FRESNO – The Grossmont College Griffins made their first-ever appearance in the California Collegiate Athletic Association State Championship a rousing success, defeating Ohlone College, of Fremont, 4-3, at Fresno City College Saturday evening.

The Griffins got a season-high strikeout effort from freshman TIM HOLDGRAFER (11-0), out of La Jolla High, to advance into the winner’s bracket at the double elimination finals.

Holdgrafer delivers to Ohlone College on Saturday in Fresno.

Holdgrafer struck out 12 over eight innings, and at times overpowered the Renegades, while weaving in-and-out of a couple of jams from the second-seeded team from the Northern California bracket.

Holdgrafer allowed eight hits, but walked just one, allowing two earned runs. He threw 130 pitches.

He was coming off his season-best nine strikeout performance in the SoCal series-clinching win over Long Beach City last Saturday.

For a moment, Holdgrafer and the Griffins appeared overwhelmed with the circumstances.

Thaddeus Phillips homered to left center, giving Ohlone (42-6) a 2-0 lead right out of the gate. The Renegades had four hits off of the Griffs’ undefeated starter.

In the last of the second, ERIC DE LA ROSA tripled to deep center to score TREVOR BEARD (single), then came home on a throwing error.

Grossmont’s TREVOR BEARD scrambles back to third on a grounder on Saturday.

Grossmont (36-7-1) scored two more in the fifth when DAVID MALDONADO rocked a double to left center, scoring MICHAEL DIFFLEY.

REECE HERNANDEZ (Santana) followed with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring CABOT VAN TIL.

Holdgrafer retired the Renegades in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Ohlone had a serious rally in the top of the seventh, picking up a run on a single, but Holdgrafer recorded three straight outs, including back-to-back strikeouts to end the frame, stranding the tying run at third.

HAYDEN SHENEFIELD came on the ninth and retired the side in order with one strike out, recording his third save of the season.

Grossmont head coach RANDY ABSHIER had previously said that Shenefield would start Game 2 here on Sunday, with DONAVON MCCRYSTAL slated for the third game at the tournament.

The Griffins face NoCal No. 1 seed Santa Rosa (36-9), which downed El Camino (39-10), 5-2, in the early game on Saturday.

Ohlone will face El Camino in a 10 a.m. elimination game, followed the Grossmont-Santa Rosa contest at 2.

The winner of Ohlone-El Camino contest will face the loser of the Grossmont-Santa Rosa matchup in an elimination game 45 minutes after the second game.

 

 

Ohlone vs Grossmont
@ Fresno, CA | Euless Field
5/27/2017 at 6:00pm

 

Ohlone
3
Grossmont
4
FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  R  H  E
Ohlone (42-6) 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  3  8  2
Grossmont (36-7-1) 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 X  4  5  1

Ohlone

HITTERS AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
Isaac Cruz 2b 4 0 1 0 0 2 0
Jacob Alvarado rf 4 1 0 0 0 2 2
Thaddeus Phillips c 4 1 1 2 0 2 0
Ryan Ruley cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 0
A.J. Curtis 1b 3 0 2 0 1 1 0
Ryan Probst lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 2
Jonny Damon 3b 4 1 1 0 0 1 2
Naeem Knox dh 4 0 1 1 0 1 0
Miguel Cazares ss 3 0 1 0 0 2 0
Carlos Jimenez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
   Anthony Garcia p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 34 3 8 3 1 13 6
BATTING
HR: Thaddeus Phillips
RBI: Thaddeus Phillips 2; Naeem Knox
Sac: Miguel Cazares
BASERUNNING
SB: Jacob Alvarado
FIELDING
E: Jacob Alvarado; Miguel Cazares

Grossmont

HITTERS AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
David Maldonado cf 4 0 2 1 0 1 0
Reece Hernandez 2b 3 0 0 1 0 0 0
Justen Burkey 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 1
Noah Strohl 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 1
Trevor Beard c 3 1 1 0 0 2 0
Jale Sim dh 2 0 0 0 1 2 0
Eric De la Rosa lf 3 1 1 1 0 1 0
Michael Diffley ss 2 1 0 0 1 0 2
Cabot Van Til rf 3 1 1 0 0 0 0
Tim Holdgrafer p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
   Hayden Shenefield p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 28 4 5 3 2 6 4
BATTING
2B: David Maldonado 2
3B: Eric De la Rosa
RBI: David Maldonado; Reece Hernandez; Eric De la Rosa
Sac fly: Reece Hernandez
BASERUNNING
FIELDING
E: Eric De la Rosa

Ohlone

PITCHERS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Carlos Jimenez (L, 11-3) 5.1 5 4 3 2 5 0
Anthony Garcia 2.2 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals 8.0 5 4 3 2 6 0
PITCHING
Batters Faced: Carlos Jimenez 24; Anthony Garcia 8
HBP: Carlos Jimenez
Pitches-Strikes: Carlos Jimenez 106-66; Anthony Garcia 30-15

Grossmont

PITCHERS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Tim Holdgrafer (W, 11-0) 8.0 8 3 2 1 12 1
Hayden Shenefield (Sv, 3) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals 9.0 8 3 2 1 13 1
PITCHING
Batters Faced: Tim Holdgrafer 33; Hayden Shenefield 3
Pitches-Strikes: Tim Holdgrafer 130-89; Hayden Shenefield 10-7
SCORING SUMMARY
OHLONE – TOP 1ST
Thaddeus Phillips homered to left center, 2 RBI; Jacob Alvarado scored.
GROSSMONT – BOTTOM 2ND
Eric De la Rosa tripled, scored on an error by ss, RBI, unearned; Trevor Beard scored.
GROSSMONT – BOTTOM 5TH
David Maldonado doubled to left center, RBI; Cabot Van Til advanced to third; Michael Diffley scored.
Reece Hernandez flied out to lf, sacrifice fly, RBI; Cabot Van Til scored.
OHLONE – TOP 7TH
Naeem Knox singled through the left side, RBI; Jonny Damon scored, unearned.
OTHER INFORMATION
Location: Fresno, CA
Stadium: Euless Field
Attendance: 201
Duration: 2:17
Umpires: Home plate – Bob Williams , First base – Bill Shortridge , Third base – Paul Cohen

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