This post was originally published on this site
Shane Wally of Long Beach Millikan watches as Foothill players celebrate the CIF playoff victory. (PHOTOS: Jacob Ramos, For OC Sports Zone).
In a game headlined by strong starting pitching, Foothill High School’s baseball team downed Long Beach Millikan 6-4 Friday afternoon at Foothill to advance to the second round of the CIF Division 2 playoffs.
The Knights (18-11) relied on a three-run first inning and a stellar showing from starting pitcher, senior Gavin Lauridsen, to power past the Rams (21-8) in the opener.
To see additional photos, click on the first picture:
With the win, Foothill is now set to take on the Sea View League champion, San Clemente High School, in round two of post season play Tuesday at San Clemente.
Early in the game, Lauridsen set the tone for the Knights on the offensive end with an RBI double to deep right field. He ultimately came home to score and sparked a three-run frame to give Foothill a 3-0 lead.
Nonetheless, his most impactful contribution came on the mound. In 6 1/3 innings of work, Lauridsen only conceded one earned run and struck out seven to pick up the win.
In pressure situations with runners on base, Lauridsen rose to the occasion, evading a few jams to keep his team ahead.
This allowed him to nearly go the distance for Foothill, as he managed to make it to the seventh inning before being pulled.
“My goal is to finish the game,” Lauridsen said. “I didn’t end up finishing it out, but I just wanted to stay in the game as long as I could to give us a chance to win.”
Still, Millikan refused to waver, as Rams starter, junior Daunte Bell, settled in and delivered four-straight shutout innings following the first.
However, the Knights had an opportunity to add some cushion in the sixth. With runners in scoring position, Foothill called on junior Patrick Petrossi to pinch-hit off the bench.
Searching for his first hit of the season, Petrossi delivered. He extended the lead with a two-run single to give his team a 6-2 lead in the sixth.
“I just had to stay calm and do my thing,” Petrossi said on his pinch-hit at bat. “I know the boys got me, so I had to have them.”
The two insurance runs proved to be just enough to hold off the Rams, with Foothill securing a 6-4 victory.
For Foothill Coach Chris Price, the win only further validated the belief he maintained in his team throughout an up-and-down end to league play.
“We got battle tested, and we weren’t perfect down the stretch, but I kept preaching to the guys, ‘you’re right there and you just have to keep fighting,’” Price said. “In this five-game tournament, nothing [in the past] really matters. The regular season is over with and now you just have to win five games.”
As the squad moves on to the second round, it believes it has all the pieces needed to make a deep run in the postseason.
“Our confidence is at an all-time high,” Lauridsen said. “We rallied, it got a little close there at the end, but our confidence is absolutely at an all-time high.”