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Redskins put down Live Oak
Colusa turns deficit into 12-run blowout to open Div. III playoffs
Down 6-5 after two and one-half innings Thursday, the Colusa High baseball team rallied with 11 runs in the fourth inning to turn back visiting Live Oak, 18-6, in a first-round Northern Section Div. III playoff game that was called in the fifth inning because of the mercy rule.
"They are the top seed and we were the last seed," Live Oak coach Matt Weinrich said. "We easily could have packed it in but we didn't."
Weinrich added the Lions (2-15) came to play and showed it, when the batted around in the top of the third, scoring six runs.
"(Colusa pitcher Matt) Vedo throws hard," Weinrich said. "It's a little bit of an accomplishment that we scored six runs off him that one inning."
Vedo was strong all five innings, scattering three hits. He walked two batters, hit two and struck out eight.
"He throws really hard," Colusa coach Mike West said of Vedo. "But that one inning I think he was trying to throw a little too hard.
"We had a couple of pitching mistakes and errors that hurt us," West said of the third.
Vedo hit two batters that inning, including Daniel Gonzalez with the bases loaded. One error on a pick-off move allowed a base runner to advance, a wild pitch advanced another and a bobble on a potential double play ball loaded the bases.
Tony Montes drove in a Lions' run with a single to right, Josh Epperson followed with a bases-loaded double to plate three runs and Ernie Caratachea blooped a base hit to right to account for the final Live Oak run of the inning.
Vedo admitted to being ticked off at himself for the mental lapses on the mound in the third. When he led off the bottom of the fourth inning and Colusa (21-6) leading, 7-6, he was fuming.
"I wanted to come out and hit something," Vedo said.
That he did, jumping on a 3-1 pitch from Lions' starter Greg Dollins and launching it over the fence in center field.
"That was a pretty good poke," West said. "It just kept going and going."
That hit followed two other successful at-bats for Vedo, who finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs. In his first a-bat, Vedo doubled off the right field fence — barely missing a home run — to drive in the Redskins' first run of the game. Jeremy Hernandez, Brandon Rader and Raul Mojica also singled as Colusa opened a 2-0 lead after one inning.
Vedo doubled again in the three-run second inning, this time down the left field line to drive in two runs. Spencer Hackney and Nico Valencia also singled in the inning.
Colusa took a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the third when Hackney singled to right to drive in one run and Hernandez' fielder's choice accounted for the other. Vedo never had an opportunity to up his batting average in his fourth at-bat. On the first pitch from reliever Montes, Vedo was plunked in the back.
"I was expecting it," Vedo said, especially after his homer led off the inning.
Vedo eventually scored again as part of the 11-run, fourth-inning rally that saw 14 batters parade to the plate.
Cody Bailey beat out a bunt for a base hit, Valencia singled up the middle to drive in two runs, Rader tripled to center with the bases loaded and Brandon Mitchell singled down the right field line to drive in two. A bases-loaded walk accounted for a run, as did a passed ball and an error.
"We hit the ball very well today," West said. "We've been doing that all year long."
The Redskins collected 16 hits, with everyone in the starting lineup bagging at least one except for designated hitter Hayden Meyers, who was hit twice by a pitch and walked.
"It was the same old story for us," Weinrich said. "We haven't been able to stop anyone all season long."
Colusa advances to Tuesday's second round with another home game against the winner of today's Durham-Rio Vista matchup.
Contact sports reporter Richard Myers at 749-4714 or rmyers@appeal-democrat.com
