Ripon Christian baseball falls to Leroy Greene Academy in section title shootout
A fast start is what Ripon Christian baseball coach John de Visser wanted in Tuesday’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI championship and that is what he got.
The Knights came out firing against defending Division VI champion Leroy Greene Academy, batting around and scoring four runs in the top of the first to get out to a quick lead.
But the Lions answered back in the later innings, turning the game from a Knights (22-9) offensive showcase to what de Visser called a seven-inning slugfest. Both teams gave each other their best shot but Leroy Greene’s (23-4) final blow — a seven-run sixth inning — proved to be the most impactful as the Knights fell in the title game, 12-11.
“This was a heavyweight boxing match,” de Visser said. “We were just trading blows and eventually someone was going to win. I think it went to the scorecard, I don’t think it was a TKO either way.”
With Tuesday’s dramatic win, Leroy Green repeats as Division VI section champions. It advances to the CIF Northern California regional tournament next week. With the loss, the Knights’ season ends with a Southern League title and their second straight 20-plus win season.
Senior David Koolhaas and freshman Noah DeBruyn each drove in three runs for the Knights. Luke Crivello added a pair of RBI and pitched 4.2 innings with seven strikeouts. Crivello and Grant Sonke tallied a pair of hits to lead the Knights’ nine-hit night. As a team, Ripon Christian drew 13 walks. Three players recorded a double.
“It’s tough, but it’s fun, that’s why you play the game,” Crivello said of playing in a high-scoring championship. “You just gotta learn how to bottle your emotions and bring them out when you need to bring them out and don’t let it overtake the game. You can’t get too amped up.”
Leroy Greene was not the only defending section champion on the field Tuesday.
The Knights took the Division VII crown last season, beating Turlock Christian, 11-3.
They were moved up to D-VI because they won the Southern League, a Division VI league. This year was their final year in the SL as they are one of three teams moving into the Trans Valley League next year.
The game could not have started any better for the Knights who brought 10 batters to the plate in the first inning, scoring four runs. They added another in the top of the second to open a 5-0 lead. Crivello was great on the mound, pitching three shutout innings and allowing just one hit.
But they knew the offense would wake up for the team that entered the contest on a 14-game win streak and averaged over 10 runs scored a game on the season. The Lions scored five unanswered runs over the fourth and fifth innings, tying the game and grabbing momentum thanks to an inside-the-park grand slam from Drew Perry.
“The whole thing is to make sure everybody stays calm while that’s going on,” de Visser said. “We know it’s coming, just be professional, get to the next pitch. Let’s not get down, let’s keep our heads up and just get to the next pitch. And I thought we did that extremely well.”
Ripon Christian answered, scoring five runs in the top of the sixth inning, regaining the lead, 10-5. From that point on, Leroy Greene threw its final punch in the form of a seven-run bottom of the sixth, taking the lead for the final time, 12-10. The Knights scored once in the top of the seventh, but could only cut the lead to one.
“It’s just they out-punched us today, and that’s the way it goes sometimes,” de Visser said.
Six seniors graduate from this year’s team including Crivello and Dustin Hoekstra, who have the two lowest ERA on the pitching staff and Sonke, the team’s statistical leader in batting average, hits, runs scored and home runs and one of the best base stealers in program history. DeBruyn’s future is bright and the team’s RBI and doubles leader Joshua Buffalow are expected to return next season.
