MARIPOSA’S SECOND BASEMAN TOMMY STICKLES WAITS FOR THE THROW AS A TURLOCK CHRISTIAN RUNNER STEALS A BASE DURING TUESDAY AFTERNOON’S SHOWDOWN FOR THE SAL TITLE. MCHS CLAIMED THE LEAGUE CROWN WITH A COME-FROM-BEHIND, 7-6 WIN. GAZETTE PHOTO BY DAN TUCKER The crack off of senior Jacob Johnson’s bat on Tuesday afternoon was one of the sweetest sounds the Grizzlies have heard this season.

When the ball flew down the left field line and sailed past Turlock Christian’s diving left fielder, the race for the Southern Athletic League pennant was over. Johnson’s double plated Jarrett Leonard with the winning run to cap a 2-out, 3-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The game entered the final regular frame with the score deadlocked at 4-4.

The first Eagle batter was hit by a pitch from Leonard to put a runner at first. Losing pitcher Robbie Smallwood then drilled a 2-2 count down the left field line for a double, scoring the go-ahead run.

Head coach Bruce Vegely called time and headed to the mound. He pulled the infield defense in tight before the next Eagle approached the plate. That hitter hit a chopper to third base that careened off the top of Grizzly third baseman Jared Guenthart’s glove and sailed into short left field, scoring Smallwood and giving TC a 2-run lead only 3 outs away from claiming the league crown.

The Grizzlies line-up started at the top of the order in the seventh. Senior catcher Kevin Foraker led off, but got caught looking at a third strike. Colin Ritter fouled out to the TC catcher, and the Grizzlies were down to their final out.

Senior shortstop Jarrett Miller dropped a 2-1 pitch into shallow right field for a single to spark the rally. Designated hitter Austin Garibay followed suit with a single to centerfield. A.J. Hall replaced Garibay at first as a pinch-runner before Leonard drew a full-count free pass to load the bases.

Infield errors plagued the Eagles from the fourth inning on and the next play was no different.

Second baseman Tommy Stickles drilled a ground ball toward first base. The Eagle first baseman tumbled to the dirt to make the stop, and was lying on his back when he flipped the ball to Smallwood, charging first base to make the out. The exchange wasn’t clean, and Stickles collided with Smallwood at the bag. The ball rolled loose, allowing Miller and Hall to score and tie the contest at 6-6.

Johnson’s double ended the drama and gave Mariposa the top SAL seed for next Friday’s first round CIF Sac-Joaquin Section VI playoff game at 7 p.m. at Galt Community Park. The Grizzlies will face the third place team from the Golden Empire League (GEL), and if they are successful in the first round, they will meet the winner between the second place team from the Central Valley Christian League and the GEL’s second place team at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 22, in the same park.

“These kids just kept clawing and scrapping, they wouldn’t say die. Everybody on this team knew it was up to them, and they got it done, just like we did last Thursday to get here,” Vegely said. “I’m proud of every one of them.”

Last Thursday, the Grizzlies forced Tuesday afternoon’s showdown by coming back in the top of the seventh inning to upend the Eagles, 5-2.

Turlock Christian took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning with a pair of quick runs.

That lead held until the fourth when the Grizzlies pushed one run over the plate. They tied the game in the sixth with a solo run on a single by Nick Leard that scored Johnson.

In the seventh inning, Miller led off with a towering double, and Garibay followed with a single to score Miller with the go-ahead run. Garibay scored on an error, and Stickles, who walked, crossed the plate on a single by Ian Merzwinski to spread the gap.

Miller was the big stick for the game, going 4-for-4 with two singles, a triple, and a double. Garibay was 2-for-4. Smallwood was also the losing pitcher in that contest.

The Grizzlies will host Denair in their final home game of the season on Thursday afternoon at 3:45 p.m. added eight in the second with EllaRose Thorpe delivering the biggest blow with a double. Morgan Foley also delivered a 2 RBI double, and Carissa Leonard had a two-bagger as well. Calee Peracca and Brook Barrett both recorded solo RBI singles. Mariposa was aided by a flurry of Denair errors.

For the game, Foley was 2-for-2 at the plate and Peracca went 2- for-3.