Sadon, Redwoods close out in style
By Andrew Butler
Times Standard
A Hokeem Sadon no-hitter in game one and a Antonio Caravalho walk-off stolen base in the 10th inning of game two lifted College of the Redwoods baseball to a pair of wins Wednesday against visiting Lassen in what was the Corsairs’ 2018 season finale.
“Their competitiveness really showed today,” Redwoods head coach Brad Morgan said. “These are the end-of-season games where you’re really just playing for pride.”
Redwoods (9-16, 16-24) put on a hitting clinic against Lassen (12-13, 18-22) in game one, recording 15 hits on its way to a 15-0 win in seven innings.
Jacob Bauer batted 4-for-4 with three runs scored, while Hunter Jury logged two hits and three runs scored. Caravalho and James Garcia each had three hits and four RBIs.
Sadon’s no-hitter capped off what has been an impressive freshman season for the pitcher.
“Hokeem has been solid for us all year,” Morgan said. “All year long he’s kept us in games, and won us games. Today was amazing. You can’t ask for much more than that.”
Game two was a much tighter affair, ending in a 5-4 Corsair victory after an errant pitch on an intentional ball-four by Lassen’s Mitchell Menns gave Caravalho enough time to steal home plate, and the win.
The game initially had a much different feel than the opener as Redwoods fell into an early 3-0 hole. It was Garcia who got the bats going for Redwoods with his fourth inning solo home run. A few batters later David Thomson notched a key RBI, sending home Adam Sanchez to bring Redwoods within one run. Redwoods capped its fourth inning comeback when Sadon stole home to even the score at 3-3.
Lassen retook the lead in the eighth inning after Aiden Leahy scored on a Eric Carlson single.
But Redwoods tied the game again in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a Bauer single which scored Sadon. The next batter, Jury, grounded out to second allowing Lassen to turn an inning-ending double play.
Redwoods needed just one extra inning to complete the comeback. After a getting on base with a leadoff single, Caravalho stole both second and third base to put him within 90 feet of victory.
The instant Menns pitch ricocheted off the back stop Caravalho was in motion, easily stealing home.
Redwoods had nine hits total in game two. Kokko Figueiredo had three of them, on five at-bats. Garcia and Bauer each finished with two hits and an RBI.
Pitcher Kyle Oshiro came in to relieve Dylan Campbell in the fourth inning and delivered just over five hard fought innings for the Corsairs, allowing just one run. Louis Pimentel was credited with the win after shutting down Lassen in the 10th inning.
“Oshiro came on with the bases loaded in the fourth and shut it down,” Morgan said. “He kept the game within reach.”
Wednesday’s wins gave Redwoods 16 total on the season, two more than a season ago and its most in a decade.