SERIES RECAP: Barajas walks it off in Game 3, sends Saddleback to the Super Regionals

MISSION VIEJO, CA- In a rematch of the Orange Empire Conference, the first round of the 3C2A Playoffs pitted the Saddleback Bobcats against the Orange Coast Pirates. The stakes were high, with the winner advancing to the Super Regionals. Their last encounter was in the week of March 11th, where the Pirates clinched the 3-game series with a 2-1 victory.

GAME 1: The Bobcats started the series on a high note, with Jack Wade delivering a stellar performance, pitching a 5-inning, 1-hit shutout and striking out 7 batters. The Bobcat pitchers collectively achieved 14 strikeouts, with Ryan Seymour contributing 2 strikeouts and Dylan Blakey adding 5, securing a crucial 2-0 shutout victory and taking the lead in the series 1-0.

GAME 2: The Bobcats came out strong in Game 2, taking advantage of early mistakes by the Pirates in the first inning. JC Allen and Makani Tanaka capitalized on wild pitches to score, followed by Jacob Hudson smashing his first home run of the season, giving the Bobcats a commanding 4-0 lead.

Orange Coast fought back in the bottom of the 1st, with Zach Leite’s RBI single scoring Owen Wessel. They continued their momentum, scoring 5 runs over the next few innings to take a 6-4 lead.

The Bobcats didn’t back down, with Matt Deutsch’s RBI single in the 6th inning closing the gap. In the 9th, they surged ahead with a crucial RBI triple by Makani Tanaka and taking advantage of an Orange Coast error to score another run, leading 7-6.

However, Orange Coast leveled the score in the bottom of the 9th, setting the stage for an intense extra inning. In the 10th, Saddleback briefly took the lead with an RBI single from Andrew Nykoluk, but Orange Coast responded with a walk-off wild pitch, tying the series at 1-1 and forcing a decisive Game 3.

GAME 3: Orange Coast started strong in Game 3, with J.T. Crabbe’s RBI single scoring Owen Wessel in the 1st inning. Saddleback responded quickly in the bottom of the 1st, tying the game with a sacrifice fly from Junior Barajas bringing in Ben Castelli.

Saddleback’s momentum continued in the 2nd inning as Matt Deutsch’s double set up an RBI single by Ben Castelli, giving the Bobcats a 3-1 lead after Jacob Beauchaine drew a walk with the bases loaded.

In the 5th inning, Junior Barajas extended Saddleback’s lead with a home run to right field, making it 4-1. However, Orange Coast rallied in the 6th, capitalizing on Jake Porter’s pitching with Zach Leite’s double driving in two runs, followed by J.T. Crabbe’s home run, giving the Pirates a 6-4 lead.

Undeterred, Saddleback fought back in the 7th with clutch RBI singles from Jacob Beauchaine and Jacob Hudson, tying the game at 6-6.

Pitcher Jake Porter regained control in the 8th and 9th innings, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. In the bottom of the 9th, Saddleback loaded the bases, and Junior Barajas delivered a walk-off RBI single to right field, securing a thrilling victory and sending the Bobcats to the Super Regionals. They will face Fullerton College at Los Angeles Valley College on Thursday afternoon at 12pm.