THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Whitney High School Athletics

Hoping to end a five-game losing streak, the Whitney High baseball team played host to Oakmont, a team that came in with an identical goal. Although both teams scored in the first inning, no more runs were posted until the seventh inning, when the Vikings rallied to secure a 4-2 victory Thursday. “I’m just really proud of my guys. They fought hard,” said Oakmont head coach Paul Martinez. “We lost five in a row coming into this and it was finally good to get off the schneid.” Trailing 2-1 in the top of the seventh, the Vikings first batter struck out to bring up pinch hitter Jake Self. Self’s double opened the door for a three-run rally. Trevor Mertz followed Self with a single to put runners on the corners. ‘Cats’ shortstop Chad Leonard then took the hill in relief of starter Michael Hamp and promptly struck out the next batter for the second out. The Vikes’ Luke Davies then drove in pinch runner Ethan Graham with a double to tie the game, 2-2. But the killer was a called balk that brought Mertz home for the winning run. “In high school, we have a pitch limit,” said Whitney head coach Jackson Watt. “(Hamp) got to the pitch limit and we had to go to the next guy, and got a couple tough breaks here and there.” Mertz scored the final run on Andrew Paolini’s single before the Wildcats got out of the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, the ‘Cats’ Dom Souto got a base hit, but Vikings’ pitcher Greg Nichols used his defense to retire the side. Nichols pitched a full seven innings, giving up eight hits, two earned runs and he struck out four. “A good changeup was (Nichols’) money pitch today; he had really good command of that,” said Martinez. “He was able to spot up his fastball, which made it even tougher. So great performance; exactly what we needed from him today.” Hamp scattered six hits in 6 1/3 innings, struck out one and was charged with three runs. Watt said the pitch limit has not been a factor affecting his team’s effectiveness. “Typically, I don’t see a (pitcher) going that far,” Watt said, as to the pitch limit. “For the most part, I keep my pitchers well under that pitch limit.” Oakmont nearly brought the tying run home in the sixth inning, but a great fielding play ended that threat. With the Vikings’ Carson Blatnick on second base, Alec Gums ripped a single into center field. Down 2-1, Blatnick tried to score, but Kyle Crouse fielded the ball and fired to the plate. At the plate, Souto went high to catch the throw and turned in time to tag a sliding Blatnick for the out. In Friday’s game at Oakmont, the Vikings prevailed 11-5.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Whitney High School Athletics

WHITNEY UNABLE TO BREAK CYCLE IN OAKMONT LOSS

JIM LINSDAU

Placer Herald | 4/23/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Linsdau