Hank DeMello called it a great win for an old public school trying to hang with the new kids in the neighborhood.
"A lot of our kids don't understand how unique and special this is," said the Roseville baseball coach after the Tigers defeated Sierra Foothill League rival Rocklin 4-2 for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship Monday night at Sacramento City College.
It was Roseville's first section baseball title since 1984 and ended Rocklin's two-year reign as D-II section champion.
"The last time we were in a championship game, there was no Rocklin, no Granite Bay, no Woodcreek," DeMello said. "Those schools hadn't opened. It's an unbelievable feeling for our kids and our community to win this."
Among the Roseville highlights:
• Matt Maher pitched a two-hitter over 6 2/3 innings before Mark Reece came on to get the last out with Rocklin runners at first and second in the bottom of the seventh.
• Blake Rivera had doubles that helped set up back-to-back two-run innings, and Nick Blaser had a two-run fourth-inning single that proved the game winner.
• Left fielder Garrett Nunally made two outstanding late-inning catches, including a twisting, diving grab of pinch hitter Michael Blattel's deep fly in the sixth. That set the tone for what was an overall impressive defensive effort by the Tigers as Maher needed to strike out only two Thunder (20-10) hitters.
Roseville finished 22-9 one season after a 15-15 finish and second-round playoff exit and two seasons after going 9-17 when Maher, Nick Blaser and catcher Anthony Roberts were sophomores and junior Dalton Blaser a freshman.
Valley Christian 3, Millennium- Tracy 1 in Lodi – Junior Casas homered, doubled, singled and drove in two runs to lead the Lions (18-9) to their third D-VII section championship in four seasons.
Jimmy Shaw and Jeremiah Moore combined for a six-hitter for Valley Christian. Casas' home run over the left field wall broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the seventh.
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
Call The Bee's Bill Paterson, (916) 326-5506.
• Read more articles by Bill Paterson
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.