Ceres High's varsity baseball team ended its season with a 14-4 Valley Oak League mercy-rule victory over crosstown rival Central Valley on Friday at Art McRae Field.
"We had a good time," Bulldogs ace pitcher Jonathon Alonzo said. "I'm glad we just didn't beat them by a little bit. We crushed them. We didn't want them to embarrass us on our home field, especially with all of our fans here. We were pumped up."
The victory helped Ceres High secure a three-way tie for fifth place in the VOL standings (6-8) with Central Valley and Sonora.
The Hawks took Game 1 against the visiting Bulldogs, 4-3, on Wednesday. Ceres High closed the gap to one with a three-run rally in the top of the seventh inning. Central Valley ace pitcher Martin Gomez went the distance, striking out 11 and walking two. He gave up six hits.
"It should have been 4-0," he said. "It was my fault it wasn't. I guess one win is all right. I just wish we could have got this last one for the seniors. They're like my brothers."
Ceres High put on an offensive clinic in the bottom of the first inning in Game 2, scoring 13 runs.
The Bulldogs roughed up Brian Creek, who lasted just 1/3 of an inning. Central Valley's No. 2 starter allowed eight runs on three hits, three walks and two hit batsmen. He had one strikeout.
Left-hander Cameron Maye yielded five runs and six hits in relief before registering the final two outs of the first inning.
Alonzo, Zack Atchison, Robert Cope, Josh Sandoval, Martino Bertolotti, Evan Fonda, Devin Eudy and Matt Smith all contributed during Ceres High's barrage.
Atchison singled twice and drove in four runs.
Cope doubled, scored twice and collected two RBIs.
Sandoval singled, doubled, scored once and knocked in a pair of runs.
Alonzo, Bertolotti and Fonda finished with a single, two runs and one RBI apiece.
Eudy tallied an RBI and a run.
Smith added an RBI.
"We made good contact on all of the pitchers they brought in," Alonzo said. "We should have played like this earlier in the season."
"They came out ready to play and we didn't," said Gomez, who started at shortstop. "It's kind of embarrassing. I thought it was going to be another close game like the last one."
"That's something we really needed as a team," said Smith, Ceres High's centerfielder. "It shows what we're capable of."
Central Valley tallied all four of its runs in the top of the third inning. Maye, Chris Mullan and Rick Rogers all singled with no out. Cameron and Chris scored on Israel Trevino's double into the right-center gap. Rogers came home on Gomez's groundout. Greg Guerra plated Trevino with a ground-rule double to left-center.
Officials stopped the game in the fifth inning after the Hawks failed to cut into the Bulldogs' 10-run lead.
Alonzo struck out Scott Block to end the one-sided contest. He retired two of Central Valley's previous three batters, including Gomez via strikeout and Guerra by groundout. Garrett Riley doubled with two out.
Alonzo had six strikeouts and one walk over five innings. He scattered seven hits.
"Those are the games I like to pitch in," he said. "I do well under pressure."
Jonathon didn't want to let down his senior teammates.
Smith, Atchison, Eudy, Fonda, Sandoval and Allen Darby ended their prep athletic careers with a blowout victory over their rivals.
"I'm not surprised at all," Matt said. "I knew we were going to stick it to them. We weren't going to disappoint our fans."
"No one really has bragging rights," Gomez said. "We've beaten each other two times."
Ceres High and Central Valley also split in 2007. The Hawks eliminated the Bulldogs from playoff contention on the final day of the season.
"On the field, we're enemies," Gomez said. "We're friends off of it."
"I wouldn't want to be on any other team," Smith said. "We're like brothers."
"We had a good time," Bulldogs ace pitcher Jonathon Alonzo said. "I'm glad we just didn't beat them by a little bit. We crushed them. We didn't want them to embarrass us on our home field, especially with all of our fans here. We were pumped up."
The victory helped Ceres High secure a three-way tie for fifth place in the VOL standings (6-8) with Central Valley and Sonora.
The Hawks took Game 1 against the visiting Bulldogs, 4-3, on Wednesday. Ceres High closed the gap to one with a three-run rally in the top of the seventh inning. Central Valley ace pitcher Martin Gomez went the distance, striking out 11 and walking two. He gave up six hits.
"It should have been 4-0," he said. "It was my fault it wasn't. I guess one win is all right. I just wish we could have got this last one for the seniors. They're like my brothers."
Ceres High put on an offensive clinic in the bottom of the first inning in Game 2, scoring 13 runs.
The Bulldogs roughed up Brian Creek, who lasted just 1/3 of an inning. Central Valley's No. 2 starter allowed eight runs on three hits, three walks and two hit batsmen. He had one strikeout.
Left-hander Cameron Maye yielded five runs and six hits in relief before registering the final two outs of the first inning.
Alonzo, Zack Atchison, Robert Cope, Josh Sandoval, Martino Bertolotti, Evan Fonda, Devin Eudy and Matt Smith all contributed during Ceres High's barrage.
Atchison singled twice and drove in four runs.
Cope doubled, scored twice and collected two RBIs.
Sandoval singled, doubled, scored once and knocked in a pair of runs.
Alonzo, Bertolotti and Fonda finished with a single, two runs and one RBI apiece.
Eudy tallied an RBI and a run.
Smith added an RBI.
"We made good contact on all of the pitchers they brought in," Alonzo said. "We should have played like this earlier in the season."
"They came out ready to play and we didn't," said Gomez, who started at shortstop. "It's kind of embarrassing. I thought it was going to be another close game like the last one."
"That's something we really needed as a team," said Smith, Ceres High's centerfielder. "It shows what we're capable of."
Central Valley tallied all four of its runs in the top of the third inning. Maye, Chris Mullan and Rick Rogers all singled with no out. Cameron and Chris scored on Israel Trevino's double into the right-center gap. Rogers came home on Gomez's groundout. Greg Guerra plated Trevino with a ground-rule double to left-center.
Officials stopped the game in the fifth inning after the Hawks failed to cut into the Bulldogs' 10-run lead.
Alonzo struck out Scott Block to end the one-sided contest. He retired two of Central Valley's previous three batters, including Gomez via strikeout and Guerra by groundout. Garrett Riley doubled with two out.
Alonzo had six strikeouts and one walk over five innings. He scattered seven hits.
"Those are the games I like to pitch in," he said. "I do well under pressure."
Jonathon didn't want to let down his senior teammates.
Smith, Atchison, Eudy, Fonda, Sandoval and Allen Darby ended their prep athletic careers with a blowout victory over their rivals.
"I'm not surprised at all," Matt said. "I knew we were going to stick it to them. We weren't going to disappoint our fans."
"No one really has bragging rights," Gomez said. "We've beaten each other two times."
Ceres High and Central Valley also split in 2007. The Hawks eliminated the Bulldogs from playoff contention on the final day of the season.
"On the field, we're enemies," Gomez said. "We're friends off of it."
"I wouldn't want to be on any other team," Smith said. "We're like brothers."
