Eagles raise blue banner after high-scoring section title rematch with Vacaville Christian

STOCKTON — For Turlock Christian’s senior class of baseball players, the third trip to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII championship game proved to be the charm.

In a rematch of last year’s title clash, the No. 2 Eagles led for the entirety of Saturday's section final from Nick Cecchetti Field at Delta College to take down top-seeded Vacaville Christian by a 10-6 score.

The victory earned Turlock Christian its second blue banner in program history (2022) and broke a streak of two title game losses in the previous three seasons.

“To get it done this year is the most amazing feeling,” said senior captain Michael Miller. “Freshman year, we couldn't get it done. Sophomore year, we didn't even get to the section title game. Last year, we fell short. We came into this year with our goals laid out — win league, get to playoffs, get to this game and then win it. We put it all out there. We had nothing to lose.”

Miller led off for TC, which entered with a 17-3 record following a 7-1 championship campaign in the Central California Athletic Alliance. He set the tone for his team without having to lift the bat off his shoulder. He was plunked on his backside on the very first offering from VC lefty starter Jack Kimball, and promptly turned to his dugout to extend roars of encouragement. They were off to the races.

Following consecutive singles by seniors Winston York and Jakobe Garcia, junior Cam Kelly drove in Miller on a groundout, with York coming around to score on an error. After an RBI single from senior Jake Dein and a pair of errors, the Eagles led 4-0 heading into the home half of the first. The early rally chased Kimball from the game.

According to Dein, the timely at-bats, baserunning and energy from he and Miller was the result of pure adrenaline, as the two had spent the week doing community service projects in Puerto Rico as part of their senior trip. The two landed in California at 3 a.m. on Saturday following flight delays overseas and at their Boston layover.

“It was a lot mentally,” Dein said. “Midway through the trip I tried to start mentally preparing for this game. Our flights kept getting delayed and I started to worry a little, but we stayed locked in. I'd say God was working. He helped get us here.”

Opposite of Kimball was Turlock Christian ace Cam Kelley. After surrendering an RBI single in the home half of first frame, he settled in nicely by not allowing an earned run through the next three innings, though the Falcons scored on a sacrifice fly following an error in the third.

Miller drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning, and the Eagles continued to pour it on in the fifth inning, with York and junior Brady Worsham — who entered in the fourth inning after starting right fielder Max Salas departed for a family wedding — recording RBI groundouts and Garcia breaking it open with a two-run double to center field to make it 9-2. He lifted his arms and let out joyous yell towards his dugout as he stood on second base.

“I was just thinking, ‘We need runs,’ Garcia said. “There were runners on, and I saw the pitch (from reliever Dylan Eddings), and it was middle-middle. I got a real good swing on it. I normally don't celebrate, but this was a big game, big moment. I’ve never felt more hyped.”

The insurance runs proved important as the Falcons rallied in the bottom part of the fifth. The trouble started when it was (questionably) ruled that Dein’s foot came off the first base bag on the back end of a routine groundball hit by Zachary Romeo. Two straight hits and an error later, the Falcons had cut the lead to 9-5.

Kelley entered the sixth at 89 pitches, and it took him 18 more to work around a Kimball single and induce a pair of popouts and his seventh and final strikeout of the afternoon. It was the fifth time Kelly had thrown over 100 pitches in an outing this season.

“I feel good,” Kelley said postgame. “I’m used to the workload. I just had to keep doing what I was doing because I knew our guys were going to find a way to win this game.”

Kelley exited ahead of the seventh inning allowing the four earned runs on nine hits and a walk.

<p data-block-key="ave31" style="box-sizing: inherit; border-color: rgb(226, 232, 240); overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; color: rgb(26, 32, 44); font-family: &quot;Roboto Condensed&quot;, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">“We knew the top of their lineup was deadly,” Kelley said. “They had really good weapons, and the top of their lineup could hit really good, so we just had to pitch to them according to how they hit the ball, by what we saw on their spray charts. I just kept them off balance with the fastball, curveball, and we did our thing. I feel like I was just locating pretty well, and when I'd throw high fastballs, I'd either get a swing on it or just throw them off, and then I'd go down to the curveball and just keep them off balance.”

Kelley improved to a perfect 7-0 on the season with 77 strikeouts and a 1.63 ERA.

York came on in relief for the final three outs. He surrendered a leadoff triple to Eddings, who came around to score on a groundout four pitches later. But York recovered with a strikeout and two grounders to clinch the title.

“(Eddings) got a good hit off me, but I knew they were at the bottom the order and that I just needed to throw strikes,” York said. “I just knew I had two outs to go, no one on, four run cushion, I just needed to do my thing.

“It was an awesome moment to get that last out. That's like my dream, to pitch in a big spot and perform in a big spot. I was really glad to get the call.”

His father, TC head coach Bill York, praised his pitching efforts and that of Kelley.

“I've said it before, time and time again — Cam has ice in his veins,” the skipper said. “He never gets too high or too low. We can count on him. That's why we ride him like we do. He and Winston have been our one-two punch. We just went with what we knew, and it worked out.”

The third sibling to compete for a section title, Winston had expressed his desire to earn one of the coveted section championship caps that are given to each player on the winning team. When he adjusted the back strap and placed it on his head, it was everything he had imagined.

“It fits perfectly,” he exclaimed.

His father, who also led the 2022 championship team, agreed.

“It’s my new favorite hat,” said York. “It’s an amazing feeling to get the job done with this group of young men. I am so proud of each of them.”

The season isn’t over yet, though. The Eagles will await CIF State brackets to be released on Sunday afternoon. The first round of the Northern California playoffs will be Tuesday.