WATSONVILLE — The rain is gone, the sun is out and, like a grizzly bear snapping out of winter hibernation, the St. Francis Sharks’ bats seem to be back from their short slumber.
St. Francis scored five runs over the final two innings to stun defending Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League champion San Lorenzo Valley, 5-4, and pick up its first league win of the season on Tuesday afternoon at home.
Senior shortstop David Talavera brought in senior pinch runner Cory Parker with a two-out RBI double to tie it up at 4-all in the seventh inning, and senior first baseman Chase Watkins knocked in Talavera for the game-winning run with an RBI single in the next at-bat.
St. Francis stormed the diamond after Watkins’ blooper into right field hit the grass and Talavera crossed home plate.
“We came out of our shell in the last couple innings,” Watkins said.
The Sharks (3-2, 1-1) mustered up only one hit in a 4-0 loss to Santa Cruz on Friday to open their SCCAL season, and had just one hit heading into the fifth inning of Tuesday’s tilt before exploding offensively for a five-spot.
To say a little weight was lifted off their collective shoulders, would be an understatement.
“We didn’t have a monkey on our backs, we had a gorilla on our backs,” said St. Francis head coach Kenny Nakagawa. “We had two hits in the first 10 innings of league. We needed this. Hopefully we’re back.”
Watkins was 3-for-4 with a double and the game-winning RBI. His two-bagger in the fourth inning halted Aidan Callahan’s perfecto, and instilled some confidence in the Sharks’ otherwise mute dugout.
St. Francis tagged Callahan for three more hits before he exited in the sixth with no outs and two players in scoring position. The Sharks jumped on the Cougars from there, as senior catcher Derric Estrada-Haro’s sac fly and junior second baseman Blaise Magana’s RBI out sliced the deficit in half.
Junior outfielder C.J. Gomez started the final-inning rally with a double, senior outfielder Tanner Putnins brought him home with an RBI single and Talavera and Watkins came through with two outs.
“We were just clicking,” Talavera said. “We just finally figured out what we can do and we were like, ‘let’s do this.’”
Junior pitcher Andrew Seymour picked up the win on the bump. He took over for Gomez in the middle of the fourth down 2-0 and with two runners on, but was able to get out of the jam unscathed.
He allowed two hits, two walks and only one earned run while striking out four batters over the final four frames.
“I tried to keep my composure as much as I could,” said Seymour, who heavily relied on his fastball. “I knew I had a great defense behind me, so I just tried to put it in play and let them work.”
St. Francis’ defense committed a handful of errors throughout the day, and S.L.V. (3-5, 0-2) took advantage of a pair while jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the sixth.
But the Sharks made key defensive plays when it mattered. The biggest of which was Talavera’s leaping snag in shallow left field during the seventh inning to keep the score at 4-2 heading into the bottom of the frame.
The bats did the rest.
“Something in the dugout just clicked,” Nakagawa said. “You could feel it.”
Because of the recent rain, St. Francis’ league opener against Santa Cruz last week was its first game since Feb. 24. The Sharks’ practice on Monday was their first time on their field in more than a week.
The rust was tough to miss.
“There is no other way to put it, we were in a big slump — everyone,” Watkins said. “To get a ‘W’ and know that we can come back now, this helps.”
And the win also helps St. Francis keep pace with the rest of the league.
St. Francis will host Eagle Point, of Oregon, today at 3:30 p.m. before returning to SCCAL action on Friday at Scotts Valley at 4 p.m.
After a middle-of-the-pack 6-6 finish last season, the Sharks are hoping their senior-heavy squad can capture the program’s third league title in the last four years.
“We’re counting on those guys,” Nakagawa said.
