Volunteers will play for the state championship after extra-inning win.

It took some clutch hitting in extra innings and a bounce-back performance on the mound to keep the Merced Volunteers’ hopes of a state championship alive.

R.J. Garcia delivered the go-ahead run with a single in the top of the eighth inning and Daniel Ureste picked up the win in relief as the Volunteers defeated the Patrick Henry Trojans of San Diego in an elimination game at the American Legion State Tournament on Saturday afternoon at the Veterans Home in Yountville.

The Volunteers found themselves in a do-or-die situation after losing 14-6 earlier in the day to the Petaluma Leghorns.

“Honestly, I thought we were finished,” said Merced coach Rollo Adams, whose team improved to 22-15. “We played at their (Patrick Henry) level. We told them a couple times in the dugout not to let them stay in the game. It can come back to bite you.”

With two outs in the eighth inning, Jack Solis smashed a double. Garcia followed with a single to left field and Solis narrowly beat the throw to the plate to give the Volunteers a 6-5 lead. John Trujillo added an RBI single to extend the lead to 7-5.

“I went up there knowing I was going to take a pitch to run (his pitch count up),” said Garcia, who went 2 for 3 with two RBIs against the Trojans. “I saw the same pitch on the next pitch and I knew I had it.”

Ureste finished off the win on the mound with a perfect ninth inning, striking out two batters. Ureste pitched four innings, giving up just one run.

It was a much better performance than his first outing on the first day of the tournament.

“I just tried to throw strikes,” Ureste said. “There’s nothing else I can do. The other day I came in and threw 10 straight balls. I knew I had to redeem myself.”

“That may have saved the season,” Adams added. “When I brought him in the first game he didn’t throw a strike. After 10 pitches I took him out. He bounced back. I told after that first game that he needs to be ready to pitch tomorrow.”

The Volunteers outlasted the Trojans despite leaving 10 runners on base through the first six innings. Merced scored three runs in the second, one in the fourth and one in the sixth, but Patrick Henry answered with the same run totals in the bottom of each inning.

Christian Witt led the offense with three hits and two RBIs. Trujillo added two hits.

Sunday’s championship game should be interesting after tempers flared between Merced and Petaluma earlier on Saturday.

Minutes after an announcement was made praising the sportsmanship shown during the first couple days of the tournament, coaches from both teams had to be separated before lineups were exchanged at home plate prior to the start of the game.

The altercation stemmed from pregame stretching areas. According to Adams, Petaluma was upset that Merced was stretching in center field. The Leghorn players then moved their pregame stretching to left field despite the Volunteers occupying the third base dugout.

“I felt what Petaluma did was bush,” Adams said. “Their head coach has been coaching for years. He knows better. All I know is our guys were to the left of that 367 foot sign in center field.”

The benches almost emptied in the sixth inning when Merced’s Joe Flores got into an altercation with Petaluma catcher Cam Downing. Flores was ejected after shoving Downing. A coach from each side was also ejected.

Petaluma won the battle on the diamond, pounding out 16 hits en route to a 14-6 win.

Porter Slate had four hits and three runs for the Leghorns.

The Volunteers will have to defeat Petaluma twice on Sunday to win the state championship and secure a regional tournament berth in Denver. The first game is scheduled for 10 a.m..

“We have plenty left in the tank,” Garcia said. “I believe we have a lot left.”