Wutsch hits and pitches Casa to NBL win

Jason Wutsch hit and pitched Casa Grande High School’s baseball Gauchos to their first Sonoma County League win, delivering the tying and winning runs, and then making them stand good with a strong relief effort in a 5-4 home diamond victory over Ukiah.

The win was badly needed by the Gauchos who had dropped their first two NBL games of the season.

Wutsch’s big hit came during a three-run sixth-inning Casa rally that took it from a 4-2 deficit to a big victory. The rally started with a Blake Berry double with one out. Quinton Gago followed with a single, putting Berry at third and in a position to score on a wild pitch

With Gago at second after he advanced on the same errant pitch that scored Berry, the Wildcats intentionally walked AJ Miller. It was a bad move because Wutsch slammed a double down the right field line to score two runs, and put Casa in front, 5-4.

Wutsch, working in relief of Chris Joaquim, blanked Ukiah in the seventh for the win. For the game, Wutsch worked three inning, allowing just one hit and no walks, while striking out four.

Casa Grande collected seen hits off Ukiah pitchers Colton Crabtree and Preston Mello. Berry had two hits for the Gauchos, driving home two runs, before scoring the game winner on Wutsch’s big hit.

Another win

Later in the week, the Gauchos evened their league record with an 8-2 win over Santa Rosa.

The Gauchos scored first in classic fashion in the opening inning at Santa Rosa, scoring on Torkelson’s double, a sacrifice bunt by Berry and John Green’s RBI single.

After Santa Rosa took a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the opening inning, the Gauchos got two of their own in the second on a walk to Torkelson, Berry’s second single, and RBI force outs by Joaquim and Hance Smith.

While the Gauchos kept on scoring, the Panthers were held in check by a succession of Casa Grande pitchers. Aaron Van Tighem worked four innings, giving up the two runs in the first and nothing for the next three innings.

He finished by allowing two hits and two walks, while striking out three. Cody McGunagle, Jack Hill and Torkelson each worked a scoreless inning in relief. Hill was the most impressive striking out two and walking none.

Torkelson led the Gauchos at the plate with three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored. Berry and Stephen Proctor each had two hits.