Prep baseball rankings: McClatchy wins critical game; win streaks define the season

McClatchy players had wide grins on their faces Friday after they beat rival Laguna Creek 4-2.

And they had good reason. McClatchy hadn’t won at Laguna Creek since 2016. The win was even sweeter for McClatchy players because they lost to Laguna Creek a few days prior at home 12-0. That’s high school baseball.

After a bases-loaded walk in the second inning, McClatchy’s Malcolm Moore roped a two-run double to extend the lead to 3-0. Laguna Creek added two runs on a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly.

McClatchy added an insurance run in the top half of the seventh on a fielder’s choice. The MVP of the game for the Lions was pitcher Gabe Henderson. He pitched a complete game and struck out six. Laguna Creek had the bases loaded with two outs, but Henderson’s clutch pitching ended the game.

McClatchy is now ranked No. 6 by The Bee, ahead of Laguna Creek, which lost earlier in the week to Pleasant Grove.

The million dollar question is: Will there be a third game between these two teams to decide who wins the Metropolitan Conference League championship? There certainly should be. All players, coaches and fans would love it. Make it happen.

Around the horn

▪ Woodcreek moves up to No. 2 after sweeping River Valley and beating Del Campo 15-5 in a Saturday contest. This is the highest ranking in school history for the Timberwolves, who have won 13 in a row and have outscored opponents 152-28 in that stretch. Jake Harvey, Zack Malone and Caden Thompson all had big performances.

▪ River City senior Andrew Finnegan threw a perfect game against Burbank. Finnegan struck out 10 in five innings in the 14-0 win.

▪ Pioneer is ranked for the first time this season. The Patriots have won six in a row and are led by Austin McKinney, Antonio Martin and Carson and Hunter Timothy.

▪ Oakmont has won five in a row after a series win over Placer and a sweep over Nevada Union. Mason Roane, Kurt Marton and Adam Davies have all been big contributors.

▪ Roseville senior Braydon Dotoli had one of the best pitching performances of the season in a 1-0 win over Bella Vista. Dotoli pitched a complete-game shutout, allowed only one hit and struck out 17. He currently leads the Sacramento area in strikeouts with 65.

▪ After dropping the series opener against Rocklin, Folsom won the next two games 8-7 and 5-4. In the rubber match, the Bulldogs trailed 4-3 in the last inning when Cheyne Gitsham hit a two-run game-winning triple.

▪ Rio Americano has moved into the top 10 for the first time this season. The Raiders’ lone loss of the season is 3-0 defeat to Ponderosa. Since then, Rio Americano has won eight in a row, including wins over Antelope and Christian Brothers last week. Elijah Rogalski against Christian Brothers struck out nine and drove in three.

▪ West Campus won a critical series over Cordova. In the rubber match, the Warriors beat Cordova 11-1. Gavin Smith-Wilhelm, Tyler Wong and Vincent Garciano all drove in two. Smith-Wilhelm and Jason Torre combined to strike out a dozen.

▪ Placer had an impressive 11-1 win over nonconference opponent Pleasant Grove. Bryce Baughman drove in three and Carson Seeman and Anson Aroz drove in two each. Myles Meyer and Martin Haswell combined to strike out 10.

▪ Casa Roble has won five in a row and a big series against Pioneer looms. The Rams are led by Jace Jones, Ian Paule, Riley Bilaver, Alex Godbee and Nick Bous.

THE BEE’S TOP 25

1. Elk Grove (18-3)

2. Woodcreek (19-4)

3. Franklin (15-7)

4. Granite Bay (15-7)

5. Pleasant Grove (17-5)

6. McClatchy (14-2)

7. Laguna Creek (14-3)

8. Ponderosa (15-4)

9. Davis (15-7)

10. Rio Americano (14-1)

11. Folsom (11-9-1)

12. Cosumnes Oaks (10-12)

13. Placer (14-8)

14. Rocklin (13-9)

15. Jesuit (11-9)

16. Del Campo (12-6)

17. Roseville (18-7)

18. Vista del Lago (10-7-1)

19. Oak Ridge (10-9)

20. Vanden (12-5)

21. River City (14-3)

22. Lincoln (11-11)

23. Bradshaw Christian (11-4)

24. West Campus (16-4)

25. Pioneer (7-2)

On the bubble: Alpha Charter (6-5), Bella Vista (9-13), Christian Brothers (7-9), Colfax (18-6), Cordova (12-9), Marysville (16-4), Nevada Union (8-10), Colfax (18-6), Oakmont (10-12), Vacaville (8-9), Yuba City (10-15)