Redcats silence Marauders in D-III Quarterfinals

FOWLER – So far through the Division III Central Section playoffs, Fowler baseball has shown why they are the No. 1 seed in their bracket. 

The Redcats started the postseason strong with a 6-2 win over No. 16 seed El Diamante in the first round. And in their quarterfinal game this past Wednesday, May 21, the Redcats continued to roll when they hosted the No. 9 seed Monache Marauders. 

After falling behind 1-0 early in the contest, the Redcats found their stride to score four straight runs. And thanks to a dominant pitching performance from senior pitcher Jerod Smith, the Marauders could not respond as the Redcats held on for the 4-1 victory to advance in the postseason. 

“It was just a tough game like they are all in the playoffs,” Fowler head coach Bill Feaver said. “We played good defense and we scratched out enough runs to get the win so I’m just proud of the effort.”

Along with Smith pitching a complete game for the Redcats, they got contributions from throughout their offensive lineup. Junior Matthew Luna made his presence felt at the plate where he recorded two hits and two RBIs for the Redcats. 

But it was the Marauders who struck first in the top of the second inning, where junior Benicio Mendoza singled to right field to give the Marauders the lead. However, the Redcats would not be caged for much longer. 

The Redcats tied the game thanks to an RBI single from senior Davian Alcaraz in the bottom of the second. The Redcats then seized control in fourth, when sophomore Euraiya Morelos gave his team the lead with an RBI single. And later in the fourth with two runners on, Luna cleared the bases with a single to left to give the Redcats control with a 4-1 lead. 

“Honestly, it took a while for us to get rolling,” Luna said. “We were hitting and we were leaving runners on base but when I got the opportunity, that was a big moment in the game.”

Smith and the Fowler defense held down the fort the rest of the way, limiting the Marauders to only one hit in the final three innings. With the loss, the Marauders wrapped up their year with an overall record of 20-10. As their season came to an end, Monache head coach Jacob Williams was proud of what his players accomplished this spring. 

“The seniors really stepped up and helped guide the young guys and young guys just got to play baseball and do their jobs,” Williams said. “We won 20 baseball games and that’s incredibly difficult to do in a high school season.”

With the win, the Redcats continued to roll with seven straight wins and a 26-3 record this season. But as the Redcats prepare for their upcoming semifinal game, Feaver knows more work needs to be done in order for the Redcats to punch their tickets to the Central Valley championship game. 

“We just got to come out and execute. Just try to play the best baseball we can,” Feaver said. “We’re in a good position. The kids are working real hard and they’re really confident so now we just have to get out and execute.”

Other local baseball teams saw their runs come to an end this past Wednesday, May 21. In Division I, No. 13 seed Redwood lost 2-1 to No. 5 seed St. Joseph. And in the Division III playoffs, No. 6 seed Mission Oak suffered a 10-3 loss to No. 3 seed Morro Bay. 

After getting an upset in the first round, No. 15 seed Golden West saw its run end with a 7-6 loss to No. 7 seed Wasco in the Division IV playoffs. And this past Tuesday, May 20, No. 6 seed Lindsay lost 13-6 on the road to No. 3 seed Mendota in the Division VI playoffs.