Pleasant Grove dominates Lincoln behind strong pitching and hitting performance

Last Friday, Pleasant Grove High School beat Lincoln’s baseball team at home 15-8.

Four days later in Placer County, the two schools met again Tuesday afternoon. The game ended in a similar fashion for No. 16 Pleasant Grove — a dominant win.

The Eagles (4-1) beat No. 20 Lincoln 14-3 behind a strong performance on the mound by senior Bobby Blandford. He finished with six strikeouts in four innings. Blandford also helped out his cause at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

It wasn’t just Blandford who performed well at the plate. Brody Boyle, Nate Underwood, Mason Ali, Johnny Flores and Colin Craven all drove in one run. Blandford, Tyson Pereira and Louis Silva both drove in two runs each.

“(Our team) is on a roll right now,” Blandford said. “Hitting has been good and our pitching is fantastic. Pitching always beats good hitting. We are just staying hot.”

He added, “It’s fantastic. (When our team hits) it helps you stay calm (on the mound). It limits the pressure.”

Pleasant Grove coach Rusty McDonald was impressed with Blandford’s performance.

“He’s a very good hitter,” He said. “He got a scholarship to Fresno State as an outfielder, but last year we started to make him a pitcher. He’s really starting to get it. He’s one of my better arms.”

He added later, “It’s great when players are multifaceted in the game and they can play multiple positions,” “It makes the lineup changes easier. It makes life easier as a coach because you have options.”

Talking to Blandford about hitting at Fresno State put a smile on his face. The program also aligns with his competitive nature as a player.

“I love the program and everything they’re talking about,” He said. “They’re a big team that likes to hit. That’s something I loved. They’re big competitors and they like to win.”

Pleasant Grove led 3-0 after the first and 10-0 at the end of the third before Lincoln (0-4) finally got on the board in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Ethan Jorgensen. The Zebras scored two more runs in the inning on an RBI single by Micahel Nutter and a bases-loaded walk. It was their only runs of the day.

Chris Henderson came into the game in relief for the final inning with his team leading by 11 runs. He recorded the final three outs on only five pitches to seal the win.

Both teams play next Tuesday. Pleasant Grove will play Vista del Lago and Lincoln will play Rio Americano.

This story was originally published March 31, 2021 at 6:49 AM.