De La Salle tops St. Mary’s, returns to D-I title game

CIF NORCAL BASEBALL

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De La Salle’s Antonio Castro tags out Ethan Silva from St. Mary’s of Stockton on a play at second base during their NorCal Division I semifinal game on Thursday. PHOTOS BY Ray Chavez / staff photographer

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De La Salle’s Graham Schlicht pitched a shutout against St. Mary’s of Stockton to highlight the Spartans’ 3-0 victory in Concord.

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By Nathan Canilao

ncanilao@bayareanewsgroup.com

CONCORD — There was no shortage of competitive fire during De La Salle’s NorCal Division I semifinal game against St. Mary’s-Stockton.

There were intense moments, and at some points, even heated ones. But in a game that featured two of the most storied baseball programs in Northern California, De La Salle found a way to come out on top Thursday.

De La Salle, the bracket’s top seed, defeated No. 4 St. Mary’s-Stockton 3-0 at home to advance to the NorCal final today. The Spartans will play host to No. 3 Serra, which defeated Los Gatos in its semifinal game.

Stanford-bound Graham Schlicht pitched a complete game and struck out nine. Cal Poly commit Antonio Castro went 2 for 3 and knocked in two runs.

“It was definitely getting chippy. We knew each other. We played each other at the beginning of the season, and they got the best of us,” Castro said. “But we just wanted it more this game, and when you want it more, all the other things like the chippiness in the stands and the chippiness on the field doesn’t matter.

The Spartans are looking for redemption after falling to Granada in last year’s North Coast Section Division I championship as well as the NorCal Division I semifinals. De La Salle captured this year’s NCS Division I title last weekend and is looking to hoist its third NorCal Division I title in the four years that the regional has been contested.

“Not winning last year was one of the worst feelings,” Castro said. “We got our NCS back, but we’re right there for a NorCal, so I want to bring this one home.”

While the runs were few and far between, De La Salle made the most of its opportunities when it counted.

Castro got the Spartans on the board when he knocked in senior Ethan Sullivan from third base on an infield single in the first inning.

De La Salle didn’t put another run on the board until the bottom of the fifth and it was Castro who came up clutch again. With two outs and runners on first and second, Castro hit a line drive double to center field that scored Sam Lakey.

Meanwhile, Schlicht and De La Salle’s rangy defense kept the high-powered St. Mary’s offense at bay.

The first four batters of St. Mary’s lineup went a combined 1 for 10 and reached base just twice.

St. Mary’s best chance to score came in the top of the fifth when the Rams put runners on first and third with no outs. De La Salle retired St. Mary’s next two batters, but eventually found itself in a bases-loaded jam.

Schlicht got the Spartans out of the inning when he struck out St. Mary’s final batter.

“I think our entire infield was great,” Schlicht said. “For me, I was trying to turn some balls and give them a chance at double plays.”

De La Salle scored its final run in the sixth inning after Niko Baumgartner raced in from third on a wild pitch. Schlicht then retired the side in the bottom of the seventh to push De La Salle into the final.