Prep baseball: Elk Grove beats Jesuit to take critical Delta League series
Elk Grove High School baseball player Aiden Jimenez hadn’t pitched all season.
The 6-foot-4 righthander went 5-0 during the spring season in 2021. This year, he’s had a shoulder injury he’s battled.
But when a pressure situation arose Saturday afternoon in Carmichael against No. 9-ranked Jesuit, he was finally ready. Jimenez took the ball in the seventh inning with his team leading by a run and retired the first two Marauders in order before walking the next batter. After a long at-bat that went to a full count, Jimenez got the out his team needed.
Not only did it give the fourth-ranked Herd a 5-4 win, it clinched the season series against Jesuit. Elk Grove won the first game on the series 5-4 and dropped the second at home 6-3 during the middle of the week.
“It was great,” Jimenez said. “Getting that competitive nature back. That feeling when you get on the mound feels great. It felt great getting back out there and competing and shutting them down. It was tough (not pitching) because I want to play every day and I love pitching. Some things are a blessing in disguise and I got my arm and shoulder stronger. Everything is a lot better now.”
Elk Grove coach Joe Bellotti added, “We are excited we can keep building off that. If we are going to make a deep (playoff) run, we are going to need guys like him and (Ryan) Zamora. Those guys are almost close to being (all the way) back.”
Elk Grove junior Eddie Fines had the most important hit of the day for the Herd — a two-run double that made the game 4-0. Devon Kneisel and Ryan Zamora also drove in runs for Elk Grove.
If the last name Fines sounds familiar to Elk Grove residents, there’s a good reason. His three older sisters Jordan, Maci and Jazzy were softball stars at Sheldon High School. The kid brother is now creating his own legacy at a new school.
“They’re my biggest role models,” Fines said. “I look up to them a lot and I want to continue the legacy of the Fines last name. … It’s awesome (hitting). When I get in the box, the adrenaline takes over.”
The Herd are in a three-way fight for the league title heading into the last week of Delta League play. The series win over Jesuit gives Elk Grove the current tie-breaking scenario for second place (both teams have an 11-4 league record). Franklin sits at first place in the league with a 12-3 league record and the Wildcats have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Elk Grove.
Elk Grove (17-8) will face Cosumnes Oaks in the final series. Jesuit (15-11) will play Davis in a three-game series.
“We are all kind of right there,” Bellotti said. “It seems like the Delta always comes down to the last week of the season…for none of these guys to have that (playoff) experience and for this to be the season they get to it’s awesome. I’m excited for all of them. Playoffs are special. The baseball playoffs are always great games (with) great baseball. The fan support in our area is great. They’re dog fights.”
Jimenez added on how his team responded after losing the series to Franklin, “Getting punched in the mouth like that lit a fire under some guys. We are now more competitive and fierce.”