Casa Grande puts itself in position to play for title tie

The Casa Grande High School baseball team put itself in a position to earn a share of the Vine Valley Athletic League championship Wednesday afternoon by defeating Napa, 4-2, on the Grizzlies’ diamond.

The win improved the Gauchos’ VVAL record to 7-4 with a game Friday afternoon at American Canyon still on the regular-season agenda.

Petaluma and Sonoma Valley have already completed their regular season at 8-4, assuring their share of the championship. Casa Grande and American Canyon (also 7-4) play this afternoon in American Canyon with the winner also sharing in the championship.

Casa Grande did what it had to do Thursday, riding the pitching of Chris Sanchez, Jake McCoy and Kobe Krnaich to the must win.

Krnaich started and pitched three innings, giving up Napa’s two runs in the first inning. The Grizzlies had two hits and three walks off him.

Sanchez took over in the fourth and allowed just a hit and a walk over the next three innings. McCoy allowed a harmless single in the seventh.

Casa Grande got single runs in four different innings,

In the first, Cole Santander’s single drove in Joe Lampe who had walked and stolen second.

Casa Grande tied the score at 2-2 in the third when Waltz hit a sacrifice fly to score Nick Taorminia, on base with a walk and on third on Santander’s double.

The Gauchos took the lead in the fourth when Connor Klemenok singled in Nick Orella.

Lampe ran in an insurance run in the sixth when he walked, stole both second and third and scored on Orella’s sacrifice fly.

Casa Grande had six hits by six different batters in the game.