Cardinals cap off SDL season with Senior Day win

WOODLAND CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

Woodland Christian senior Owen Tessier had an RBI and 3 runs scored during a Sierra Delta League game against Mesa Verde on Thursday, May 1. CARLOS GUERRERO — DAILY DEMOCRAT

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By Carlos Guerrero

cguerrero@dailydemocrat.com

With an undefeated Sierra Delta League championship season about to be under their belts, the Woodland Christian baseball team simultaneously crossed off another key item of this year’s bucket list by celebrating their Senior Day in style, thanks to a comprehensive 13-1 win over Mesa Verde Thursday evening.

The Cardinals (21-6, 14-0 SDL) earned this year’s league title with a massive three-game cushion over the second-placed Vacaville Christian, a team they heartily defeated 11-1 and 12-0 in the early part of March. They will now await the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoff draw this weekend and find out their next opponent.

Following the game, the team honored its nine seniors, including Kyle Misner, Gary Mann, Jeffrey Nannini, Parker Howald, Owen Tessier, Ethan Howald, Mateo Torres, Jandro Torres and Wyatt Trafican.

“The three years I have been here, I have seen the seniors grow into some real baseball sense,” said Cardinals head coach Nelson Randolph. “Sometimes the baseball IQ was not here, and I brought a new brand of baseball here, and they all really gravitated to it. This last year, it all really came into fruition. We grew and became a family and it got us over the hump last year.”

“These guys are everything to me, I love them like brothers,” senior Owen Tessier said. “They have been through everything I have been through. We always bounce back and keep on going. We did something very special last year, and I had a special year last year, and the only way I was able to do that was because everyone had my back.

“I think we mean a lot to the program. We have picked up the pace for this program, and I hope we can help do something special for this school again. We love this sport and show it the way we play.”

The Cardinals enjoyed a fast start, scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, they’d go on to add five more runs for their most offensively productive inning of the night. Trafican led things off with a single to score fellow senior Misner and go up 3-0. Tessier then came up and beat out an infield single. On the throw, however, the first Mesa Verde first basemen was not able to get a glove on the ball, allowing Misner to cross home plate and make it 4-0.

Senior Jandro Torres then stepped up to smack a single into left field, allowing Tessier to score and make it 5-0. Mann then came up and singled home both Jandro and Parker Howald to make it 7-0.

In the bottom of the third, the Cardinals added three more runs to momentarily activate the 10-run mercy rule. However, in the top of the fourth, Mesa Verde found a way to claw a run back from the home side, and make it eligible for a full game, making it 10-1.

The Cardinals, however, had other plans for later in the evening and added another 3 runs to make it 13-1 and head into the fifth inning with an activated mercy rule.

Ethan Howald knocked in Mann to make it 11-1 before Ethan worked his way around the bases to eventually scamper home on a passed ball to make it 12-1. Tessier drove in the final run to make it 13-1.

Tessier finished the game with a game-high 3 runs scored. Senior Jeffrey Nannini had a game-high 3 RBI to go with his 2 hits and 1 run. Ethan Howland finished with a run scored on a hit and 1 RBI, while his twin brother Parker had 2 runs and 2 RBI.

Jandro Torres had 2 RBI while his twin brother Mateo Torres had an RBI and a run scored. Mann had a run scored while Wyatt Trafican amassed 1 hit, 1 run and an RBI.

On the mound, Misner tossed 3 full innings and struck out 4 batters. At the plate, he finished with 2 runs and 2 hits.

Up next for the Cardinals will be the CIF SJS playoff draw, which is set for this weekend. The Cardinals hope to have done enough to secure at least one home playoff game.

“We just need to play smart baseball,” Randolph said. “Smart baserunning, fundamentals, put the ball in play, have our pitchers throw strikes, field ground balls, and catch fly balls. If we do all of that and run the bases aggressively, we’ll be fine. I don’t think there is a team out there that can beat us.”

“I’m ready for the playoffs. We had a great tournament run a few weeks ago and competed with Division I or II teams. That performance shows us how we affect the minds of the other teams. We are more ready than ever for the playoffs. We have competed this whole season regardless of who it is against.”