Terry Bernal Daily Journal staff
The 2022 Carlmont Scots were a team whose big swagger translated to big swings.
No. 6-seed Carlmont ran into a No. 3 Palo Alto team every bit its equal, on both counts, in the opening round of the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs. And while the swinging Scots (.327 team batting average) managed to top Paly (.324) in the hitting department through Saturday’s showdown, it was the Vikings who enjoyed a slim 11-10 margin of victory.
The elimination loss to end Carlmont’s season featured some wild swings on the scoreboard. Paly took a 9-2 lead into the sixth inning, only to see Carlmont rally for eight runs to surge ahead 10-9. But the Vikings reveled in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run single from Charlie Bates to celebrate with a walk-off.
“Our guys love to rise to the occasion,” Palo Alto manager Greg Fukuhara said. “We have a lot of respect for that ballclub over there and what they bring. But we believe a lot in ourselves also.”
The win was a matter of survival in more ways than one. Not only does Palo Alto advance to the CCS Division I semifinals. In reaching the semis, the Vikings are guaranteed a chance to continue their season after the CCS tournament, as the top four placers in Division I earn invites to the inaugural CIF Northern California baseball tournament starting in June.
The Nor Cal playoffs were at the heart of the issue with Carlmont manager Ryan Hamilton opting to use his top two starting pitchers Saturday in Tripp Garrish and Colton Fisher.
Garrish departed in the fourth inning due to injury with a muscle strain in his pitching elbow, Hamilton said. That’s when Hamilton turned to Fisher who, optimally, would have served as a starting pitcher in the semifinals. The Scots played 28 games this season. Garrish and Fisher combined to start 20 of them.
“The strategy going into today was win today, get into Nor Cals,” Hamilton said. “So, we were all hands on deck, no matter what, and next game we were going to figure it out. We were going for this game.”
Garrish scuffled through four-plus innings of work, with Paly scoring in each of the first five innings. Carlmont’s senior left-hander allowed seven runs on eight hits, while two dropped infield pop-ups during the Vikings’ go-ahead two-run second inning proved costly
Meanwhile, Palo Alto starting pitcher Sam Papp overcame a first-inning run — on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Garrish — by setting down nine straight Carlmont batters. The junior right-hander wouldn’t allow another runner until Garrish led off the fourth inning on a challenge fastball to cut Paly’s lead to 4-2. The Vikings added four more runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 8-2.
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Palo Alto (25-5) is now the only non-West Catholic Athletic League team remaining in the Division I tournament. The Vikings advance to play No. 2 Valley Christian Wednesday at Excite Ballpark (formerly San Jose Municipal Stadium) Wednesday at 4 p.m. The other Division I semifinal features No. 4 Bellarmine against No. 1 St. Francis at 7 p.m.
Carlmont (20-7-1) graduates a majority senior team, including seven of Saturday’s starters.
“We’re a family,” Vance said. “We’re going to always be together. Our JV team is going to come up and, we’ve created a culture here. This is family. Even with these loses, we’re all together still, really close, because we’re brothers. This is a brotherhood right here.”
The 2022 Carlmont Scots were a team whose big swagger translated to big swings.
No. 6-seed Carlmont ran into a No. 3 Palo Alto team every bit its equal, on both counts, in the opening round of the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs. And while the swinging Scots (.327 team batting average) managed to top Paly (.324) in the hitting department through Saturday’s showdown, it was the Vikings who enjoyed a slim 11-10 margin of victory.
The elimination loss to end Carlmont’s season featured some wild swings on the scoreboard. Paly took a 9-2 lead into the sixth inning, only to see Carlmont rally for eight runs to surge ahead 10-9. But the Vikings reveled in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run single from Charlie Bates to celebrate with a walk-off.
“Our guys love to rise to the occasion,” Palo Alto manager Greg Fukuhara said. “We have a lot of respect for that ballclub over there and what they bring. But we believe a lot in ourselves also.”
The win was a matter of survival in more ways than one. Not only does Palo Alto advance to the CCS Division I semifinals. In reaching the semis, the Vikings are guaranteed a chance to continue their season after the CCS tournament, as the top four placers in Division I earn invites to the inaugural CIF Northern California baseball tournament starting in June.
The Nor Cal playoffs were at the heart of the issue with Carlmont manager Ryan Hamilton opting to use his top two starting pitchers Saturday in Tripp Garrish and Colton Fisher.
Garrish departed in the fourth inning due to injury with a muscle strain in his pitching elbow, Hamilton said. That’s when Hamilton turned to Fisher who, optimally, would have served as a starting pitcher in the semifinals. The Scots played 28 games this season. Garrish and Fisher combined to start 20 of them.
“The strategy going into today was win today, get into Nor Cals,” Hamilton said. “So, we were all hands on deck, no matter what, and next game we were going to figure it out. We were going for this game.”
Garrish scuffled through four-plus innings of work, with Paly scoring in each of the first five innings. Carlmont’s senior left-hander allowed seven runs on eight hits, while two dropped infield pop-ups during the Vikings’ go-ahead two-run second inning proved costly
Meanwhile, Palo Alto starting pitcher Sam Papp overcame a first-inning run — on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Garrish — by setting down nine straight Carlmont batters. The junior right-hander wouldn’t allow another runner until Garrish led off the fourth inning on a challenge fastball to cut Paly’s lead to 4-2. The Vikings added four more runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 8-2.
Carlmont Scots lose wild one in CCS baseball opener on Palo Alto’s dramatic walk-off
The 2022 Carlmont Scots were a team whose big swagger translated to big swings.
Palo Alto (25-5) is now the only non-West Catholic Athletic League team remaining in the Division I tournament. The Vikings advance to play No. 2 Valley Christian Wednesday at Excite Ballpark (formerly San Jose Municipal Stadium) Wednesday at 4 p.m. The other Division I semifinal features No. 4 Bellarmine against No. 1 St. Francis at 7 p.m.
Carlmont (20-7-1) graduates a majority senior team, including seven of Saturday’s starters.
“We’re a family,” Vance said. “We’re going to always be together. Our JV team is going to come up and, we’ve created a culture here. This is family. Even with these loses, we’re all together still, really close, because we’re brothers. This is a brotherhood right here.”
