NBL TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL GAME: Gauchos upend Ukiah to reach NBL title game

Three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning broke open a tight game and Casa Grande advanced to the finals of the North Bay League baseball tournament with a 5-2 win over Ukiah.|

Three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning broke open a tight game and Casa Grande advanced to the finals of the North Bay League baseball tournament with a 5-2 win over Ukiah.

The win was the 15th in succession for the streaking Gauchos, but it wasn’t a thing of beauty on a cold afternoon in Petaluma. Casa allowed two unearned runs to make the mound efforts of Chris Joaquim and reliever Justin Bruihl more difficult than they should have been. The hosts made four infield miscues in the unevenly played game.

Joaquim went the first six frames to pick up the victory, and gave way to Bruihi who finished up in the top of the seventh inning. It was the eighth win of the season for the sophomore starter (0.82 ERA) who scattered four hits, but had to pitch out of several difficult situations.

Joaquim did run into some choppy waters late in the game, but a quickly turned double play by middle infielders Blake Berry and Tyler Moore ended a Wildcat threat in the sixth inning after Ukiah got two runners aboard.

Casa bunched five hits in the pivotal fourth inning to take the lead. All of the Gaucho hits found holes in the Ukiah infield with a two-run double off the bat of Brian Hupke punctuating the rally.

For the second game in succession between the two clubs, Ukiah had a difficult time on the bases. Two runners were picked off, including lead-off hitter Karter Koch. In addition, a Wildcat was gunned down at second base on a relay started by left fielder Max Cerini. The very same scenario haunted Ukiah in the first clash.

Moore and Eric Parnow finished with two hits each for the Gauchos as they improved to 20-5 for the season, and stamped themselves among the top four clubs in NCS Division 2 play.

Parnow added a bit of daring do on the bases when he scored all the way from second base on a Wildcat put out at first base. Parnow did not hesitate as he rambled around third base on his way to the plate.

Ukiah came into the game as the fourth-place finisher in the North Bay League at 8-6, and its overall record of 14-11 places it among the teams fighting for a second-tier qualification in the North Coast Section playoffs.

Teak Larwood and Robbie McIntosh had two hits each for the Wildcats. Ukiah finished with five hits in the semifinal contest.

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