YC routs RV

After wrapping up the Tri-County Conference championship with a 6-1 victory Thursday night, the Yuba City High baseball team could have relaxed in Friday's regular season finale at River Valley.

Unfortunately for the Falcons, Yuba City did nothing of the sort as the Honkers scored 10 runs in the first inning and never looked back in a 15-0 victory in a game that was shortened to five innings due to the 10-run rule.

Each of the first eight batters in the first came around to score runs as the Honkers (25-2, 14-1) sent nine batters to the plate before River Valley recorded its first out.

"The approach was to make a little more happen early in the game," Yuba City coach Jim Stassi said. "We stepped on the gas today and it paid off offensively."

Tyler Fry opened the game by ripping a double to the left field gap and scored when Just Lamb smacked the next pitch for a triple off the top of the wall in left to give the Honkers a quick 1-0 lead.

After Max Stassi brought Lamb home by reaching on an error, Jake Stassi followed with an RBI double down the left field line and Tyler Updike slapped a single up the middle to make the score 4-0.

Brian Boss and Jack Kirby followed with consecutive singles before Billy Nuxoll plated a run with the Honkers' third double of the inning, making the score 6-0 and setting things up for ninth-place hitter Mundeep Purewal.

Purewal, making a rare start at first base for the Honkers, came through by slapping a base hit to right to knock in Kirby and Nuxoll to make the score 8-0.

It was the start of a big day at the plate for Purewal, who finished the game 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

"I felt good," Purewal said. "I've been working hard in the cages, waiting for my time to come and today I took advantage of it."

Although at-bats can be hard to come by on a team with such depth, Stassi appreciates the work ethic and patience of his club.

"All these kids come out and work hard every day so we got to get them at-bats," Stassi said. "They know their roles and now's their time to shine. I'm really proud of them."

Max Stassi clubbed a two-out double and brother Jake followed with an RBI single to cap the scoring in the first inning for Yuba City.

"We played good last night, but today was a little different," River Valley coach Todd Artist said. "They did a great job swinging the bats, so what can you say. Even the soft hits were landing for them."

Max Stassi belted a solo home run to lead off the third and walked with the bases loaded as part of the Honkers' three-run fourth inning to finish the game 2-for-3 with a double, homer and three RBIs.

Fry went 3-for-5 with two doubles and scored three runs, Jake Stassi went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs, Kirby went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run and Updike went 1-for-3 and drove in two runs to lead the Honkers' 17-hit attack.

Todd Borcher allowed two hits over four innings to earn the win and Hunter Graves tossed the fifth to close out the game for Yuba City, which opens the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. III playoffs Thursday at Dan McAuliffe Memorial Park in Sacramento.

"I'm proud of our team," Purewal said. "Coach says we work harder than any other team and that's why we're champs."

Josh Edwards and Cody Miller had the lone hits for River Valley, which finished the year 6-20 overall and 3-12 in the TCC.

Contact Andy Arrenquin at 743-0512 or at aarrenquin@appealdemocrat.com.