El Capitan storms into Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV title game

When Jake Rogers hit a two-run homer over the left-field wall in the sixth inning to pull Bear River High School within three runs of El Capitan, Gauchos shortstop Braiden Ward admits he got a little nervous.

Then, he remembered who was on the mound for El Capitan.

“When (Rogers) hit the home run, it shook our nerves a little bit,” Ward said. “But we knew we still had a three-run lead and that was going to be tough with Sai (Davuluri) pitching. Nobody has done that all season against Sai.”

Davuluri regrouped and recorded the final four outs, with the help of a double play in the seventh inning, to close El Capitan’s 6-3 win for a sweep of the best-of-three Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV semifinal series on Tuesday evening at Tony Zupo Field.

Unlike when the the Gauchos (22-7) quietly clinched the Western Athletic Conference championship a few weeks ago with a muted celebration, they showed emotion as they clinched a berth in Monday’s section championship game. There were flying chest bumps on the field, and the team slowly dog-piled down the left-field line.

“It’s getting better,” coach Aaron Ruiz said of the Gauchos’ celebrations. “I think you’ll see a lot more on Monday if we come and play our game. For now, we’re sticking with the humble approach of we’ve been here before, even though we haven’t.”

The Gauchos will face the winner of the other semifinal series between Lincoln and Patterson, which would be concluded Wednesday. The site and time of the section championship game is yet to be determined.

“This really means a lot,” Ward said. “I think it finally started hitting me in the sixth inning that we could be playing for a section title. I started getting ecstatic and nervous during the seventh inning. Now that we’ve won, this is the most excited I’ve been all season long.”

Like he’s done all season, Ward continues to do his job at the top of the lineup and set the table for the middle of the order. Ward went 4 for 4 on Tuesday with a double, two stolen bases and a run scored. The junior has been on fire in the postseason, going 10 for 12 with six runs and four RBIs.

“We’ve talked about that,” Ruiz said. “Our table setters have to do their job. When they set the table, our other guys are going to eat.”

Ward singled to start the game and stole second. Mark Sellers, who also has been finding his way on base in the No. 2 spot, then drew a walk and the duo pulled off a double steal to set the table for Davuluri, whose two-run single gave the Gauchos a 2-0 lead before Bear River could record an out.

“It’s great hitting behind Braiden and Mark because somehow those two always find a way on base,” said Davuluri, who came up to bat with two runners in scoring position three times in the game. “All I have to do is put the ball in play hard somewhere to get them home.”

The Gauchos tacked on a third run in the first against Bear River starter Trevor Hennig, as Chase Whitaker laced a single that was misplayed in right field to allow Davuluri to score.

Tyler Skelton came out dealing for the Gauchos, as the senior right-hander retired nine of the first 10 hitters, including five strikeouts.

“Everything was working for me,” Skelton said. “It didn’t even seem like I was pitching. It seemed something more today. I was doing something I love to do.”

The Gauchos extended the lead with a run in the third on a two-out single by Elijah Reid. El Capitan received run-scoring singles by Sammy Mora and Ward in the fourth to stretch the lead to 6-0.

Skelton cruised through five innings but was relieved after allowing a double and single to start the sixth.

“Tyler came in during our last game and I’ve seen this fire underneath him,” Ruiz said. “That’s something I’ve been waiting to see in him since he’s come back (from a finger injury). I wanted him to be the guy to lead us, and he was today.”

Davuluri came on, and Bear River (18-11-1) got on the board on a groundout. One out later, Rogers’ two-run homer put the Bruins back in the game at 6-3.

“I’ve given up plenty of home runs in my life,” Davuluri said. “In my mind, it was like, we’re still winning. The bases are clear. It’s nothing more. I know I have a great defense behind me, and they helped me out with a big double play in the seventh inning.

“It was special to be out there to close the game out. We’ve worked hard all year long for this. It was an honor, and I didn’t want to ruin Tyler’s great outing.”

All year the Gauchos have had their eyes on the big picture – a section title. The opportunity will come Monday.

“It feels great,” Skelton said. “We’ve put in a lot of hard work. Coach (Ruiz) has been like a drill sergeant. He’s pushed us hard these last few weeks. I think he knows the level we’re capable of playing at, and he knows what we’re going to face.”

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 8:44 PM with the headline "El Capitan storms into Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV title game."