suddenly use a clock for some obscure rule during the most important game of the season…”
in 74 and 55 innings pitched, respectively. Hardly the kinds of eye-popping numbers one has come to expect little longer than expected, meandered a bit, and ended from high-level high school baseball programs. not quite the way the Gauchos would have chosen. Still, the Gauchos themselves, from Nichols to twoWhen the game began (way back on Saturday, June Entering the season, not many folks outside of El time defending ACCAL Most Valuable Player Lipson, 5), El Cerrito starting pitcher Sam Winter went headCerrito — or outside of the Gauchos’ locker room, re- to the last guy sitting on the end of the bench, started to-head with Miramonte ace Raul Jacobson for fourally — expected all that much from this year’s squad. the year believing they had a shot at winning the league plus innings before running into a jam in the fifth. But Look at the earlier bulleted list. It’s accurate. title. Gauchos ace Mark Kolding came into a bases-loaded, The Gauchos don’t really pass the ‘eye’ test as a base“I don’t thing anybody expected us to make a run no-out situation and promptly induced a fielder’sball team. They’re mostly pretty short — with a few tall, — but we did,” Nichols said. “We were all very disapchoice groundout to third and an inning-ending double lanky exceptions — and mostly pretty slow. There isn’t a pointed that we didn’t make a better run in league. We play to keep the Matadors off the board. thought we could win it.” El Cerrito threatened in the fifth, sixth, It didn’t quite work out that way. After seventh and eighth, but couldn’t get that romping to a 6-1-1 mark in early nonone hit it needed to break into the runs league action, the Gauchos lost two of column. their first three ACCAL contests — 4-1 The Gauchos’ best chance came in the to Berkeley at home on March 26 and eighth, and was surrounded by contro4-1 at Pinole Valley on April 16 — all but versy. Leadoff man Winter (since moved eliminating themselves from the leagueto center field) was hit by a Jacobson pitch title hunt. A 3-1 loss at Berkeley on April and scurried down to first base. But Mi30 sealed the Gauchos’ fates, clearing the ramonte coach Vince Dell’Aquila argued way for Alameda to take home another Winter had not made any effort to avoid ACCAL crown. Berkeley placed second, being hit. The umpires conferred, and with El Cerrito falling to third. It was the Winter was sent back to the plate. He kind of disappointment that has submagrounded out to short, which meant he rined lesser teams. wasn’t on base to score when third baseNot so, the unsinkable Gauchos. man Tyvon Price followed with a knuck“After that third loss in league, Berkeling infield single, and Lipson rifled an ley had two games left vs. Alameda and opposite-field line drive to left. Jacobson Pinole Valley, and, we knew we were wriggled out of the jam by inducing a flydone,” Nichols said. “We just refocused. out to left and a weak grounder to first. We talked about, ‘Hey, listen; we’re not The NCS had imposed a two-and-agoing to win the league. Everybody get half hour time limit on Saturday’s title better every day. Concentrate on wingame. Repeated announcements of this ning NCS. In the meantime, let’s play fact were made over the public-address spoiler.’ system throughout the game, but nobody “We played great baseball after that until the last game of the year.” — fans, coaches, media — seemed to take bob larson Despite losing 8-3 to Alameda to close them too seriously. No inning would beMiramonte’s Drew Jackson looks the ball into his glove for the out as El Cerrito’s the regular season, the Gauchos secured gin after that time limit had been exceedCharlie Caccamo goes head first into second base in the fifth inning during the the No. 2 seed in the Division III bracket. ed, which ended up falling right around NCS Division III Championship game at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga on June 5. That earned them a first-round bye and, the middle of the 10th scoreless inning. weirdly, a five-hour road trip to Arcata. The Matadors and the Gauchos finished By NCS rule, No. 10 Arcata, as a desout that frame, then pressed pause for all of Sunday and much of Monday before resuming their bona fide slugger in the lot. Their pitchers are the kinds ignated league champion, was allowed to host its first of guys who are less likely to strike fear in opposing bat- two playoff games (even though it was seeded behind tilt at 4 p.m. at Saint Mary’s College. both Acalanes and El Cerrito). So the Gauchos hit the El Cerrito finally succumbed right around 5:45 p.m. ters than they are to lull them to sleep. road and prevailed 5-4. Again they were rewarded with “We don’t have a lot of tools, ” shortstop Tino Lipson — almost two days and five hours after the championa road trip — this one much shorter. El Cerrito played said shortly after going 3-for-5 in the first 10-inning ship contest began — when the Matadors scratched out three runs in the 15th inning of what had been, up until stretch of the NCS title game on Saturday. “We don’t a semifinal game at Encinal (another league champ) in have star athletes. We just figure out ways to win and Alameda, and again eked out a win, this time 5-3. that point, a scoreless tie. “As the No. 2 seed, we had to go all the way to ArBut that was after the Gauchos turned double plays really pick each other up as a team.” cata to play a really talented team that swings the bats,” To a certain extent, the UC Davis-bound Lipson is to wriggle out of jams in the 11th, 12th and 14th just to Nichols said. “Then came back and played at Encinal – a keep the game alive, despite not putting a single runner the anti-Gaucho (meant in the nicest possible way): a No. 3 seed. They swing the bats. But we played good in scoring position themselves once the game resumed fast, silky-smooth defender with a strong, accurate arm D[efense] and took advantage of our chances. Still. We and a bat that seems to have a never-ending supply of in the 11th. were on the road as a two-seed for two games. It hasn’t “The thing is, we didn’t score a run in 15 innings, so line drives in it. been the easiest of roads – but it’s been a lot more fun The season’s statistics bear out just how scrappy this we didn’t deserve to win,” Nichols said. “But the dethis way. We had a great time in Arcata. We like spendcision to stop a brilliant game after 10 innings, to be team has been. El Cerrito hit eight home runs. As a ing time together.” played two days later? The NCS really has to address team. In 26 games. And Lipson and Price had three Continued, page 20 that. … We play the whole season with no clock at all, to apiece. Kolding and Winter struck out 53 and 57 batters Continued from page 18
GAUCHOS, UNFAZED
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