Chanting, clapping, screaming and cheering: the crowd went wild with each exhilarating moment. The Santa Rosa Junior College Bear Cubs (13-8, 27-11) played against the City College of San Mateo Bull Dogs (15-7, 24-15) in an intense double-header playoff series May 3 at Cook Sypher Field. The Bear Cubs won both games to advance to the next level.
The action started in the third inning of the first game, when SRJC catcher Spencer Neve got a single after San Mateo’s second baseman dropped the ball. Neve stole second after a wild pitch to centerfielder Matt LoCoco.
LoCoco then hit a fly ball to right field, bringing Neve home to give a 1-0 lead for SRJC.
Shortstop Phil Ramos then hit a single to bring LoCoco to scoring position.
Then second baseman Chase Stafford stepped up to the plate and hit a sac bunt to bring LoCoco in, increasing the score to 2-0 SRJC.
Left fielder Dane Erbst batted next, hitting a single to advance Ramos to third base.
First baseman Weston Bryan then loaded the bases after a walk. However, all three Bear Cubs were left stranded after third baseman Taylor Martin struck out to end the inning.
SRJC fans became a little shaky in the bottom of the third when starting pitcher Brandon Hagerla gave up two singles with no outs. Another single from catcher Makana Lyman put a run on the board for San Mateo.
After a sac fly, infielder Myles Mastrobuoni tagged third and shot off for home plate, tying the game at 2-2.
Hagerla gave up yet another hit, bringing in catcher Dylan Isquirdo to give the Bull Dogs a 3-2 lead.
After another it by infielder Dominic Orlando, Hagerla loaded the bases by walking outfielder Austin Lonestar.
The tough inning lead SRJC head coach Damon Neidlinger to make a pitching change. Anthony Bender then picked up where Hagerla left off, getting infielder Dane Vande Guchte out to end the long inning.
The Bull Dogs came out strong in the fourth inning as well, gaining another run off a sac fly by infielder Devin Mahoney.
Now down by two runs, the Bear Cubs did not give up. After Stafford smashed one to centerfield, Bryan brought him in to make the score 4-3 San Mateo.
Both teams saw no additional score until the eighth inning, when SRJC outfielder Parker Shaw hit a single. Neve then smashed one to put Shaw into scoring position. Finally, Ramos stepped up to the plate and hit a single, bringing the score to a tie of 4-4.
SRJC scored two more runs when Stafford came up to the plate once again to bring in Neve and Ramos with a single.
Bender closed out the game with no further runs for the Bull Dogs. The Bear Cubs won 6-4.
“Our defense was solid; we got the hits when we needed them,” said assistant coach Tom Francois.
After a half-hour break, both teams prepared themselves for one more game to decide who would move on.
Starting pitcher Brett Obranovich lead the game off on the mound, giving up no runs in the first inning.
Ramos made the first hit of the game for the Bear Cubs in the bottom of the first, a single up the center.
Stafford hit another single out to left field, advancing Ramos to second base.
Bryan stepped up to the plate next and smashed the ball out to right centerfield to load the bases.
Finally, a wild pitch to Erbst allowed Ramos to steal home, bringing the score to a 1-0 lead for the Bear Cubs.
However, the Bull Dogs did not let that one run put them in the pen. At the top of the second inning, singles by Isquirdo and Mahoney, as well as a walk for Steve Pastora, loaded the bases. Then a wild pitch and a sac fly brought two runs in to give a 2-1 lead to San Mateo.
The Bear Cubs came back in the bottom of the inning with singles from Stafford and Bryan. Erbst got another single to bring in Stafford and tie the game at 2-2.
After a whole inning of no scoring action, the Bear Cubs won their lead back in the fifth inning, with LoCoco leading off the order.
After taking a hit in the back of the foot, LoCoco advanced to first base, bringing Ramos up to the plate. Ramos got out at first to advance LoCoco to second. Finally a wild pitch to Stafford helped LoCoco to move ahead to third base.
A hit out to left field by Bryan brought LoCoco in to score, increasing the score to a 3-2 lead for SRJC.
The Bear Cubs scored the final run of the game in the seventh inning after Ramos and Stafford hit singles, and a last single by Bryan to bring Ramos back home.
Finally, hearts pounded and anticipation grew as SRJC’s J.J. Jamerson closed out the game on the mound. One last out and the crowd went wild, feet banging against the bleachers as cries of joy celebrated the Bear Cubs’ 4-2 victory.
“The guys never quit; they’re fighters,” Francois said.
Jamerson reflects on his strategy for staying in his “zone” during such a high-pressure situation. “I just work on getting the hitter out,” Jamerson said.
After losing on May 2, the Bear Cubs are pleased with their success in the final games of the playoff series.
“We used our loss to kind of fuel us and fire us. We really fought hard,” Stafford said.
Coaches like Francois are also proud of the team. “The guys came back so well. That first game, let’s be honest, was ugly,” Francois said.
The next postseason series will be on the weekend of May 10. Opponents and location will be announced soon.