SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Walnut Creek Crawdads third baseman Ryley Leininger’s game-ending play in the bottom of the ninth inning was anything but conventional. 

The third baseman broke to his left and in at an angle to field San Francisco Seagulls’ shortstop Thomas Maher’s broken-bat punch that landed in the middle of the infield. Leininger attempted to field the ball on a bounce with his bare hand, but slapped the ball into his glove, where he bobbled it.

In the end, Leininger stayed in control of the situation. The Redwood City native was able to get a handle on the ball and fire a throw to first to get Maher out and secure the Crawdads’ victory. 

In some ways, Leininger’s play at third to end the game reflected Walnut Creek’s (7-1) path to score seven runs and defeat San Francisco (1-10), 7-1, Tuesday night. The Crawdads’ offense didn’t light the world on fire, recording only six hits and one extra-base hit on their way to score just over half a dozen runs. Yet, the unconventional explosion, alongside spectacular pitching, extended their CCL winning streak to seven games and made the bus ride away from Lara Field at San Bruno City Park a good one. 

Here are three takeaways from the victory.

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

For whatever reason, whether it be because of two off days in a row or just the natural ebbs and flows of baseball, Walnut Creek’s offense wasn’t as strong Tuesday night as it has been in the past. Seven runs is nothing to scoff at, but it’s the team’s lowest total in a CCL win all season, and they weren’t scored because of overpowering hitting. 

Right fielder Joey Donnelly’s two-run double to the left-center field wall in the third inning was the team’s only extra-base hit, and only five other Crawdads were able to record singles. While the Crawdads’ bats might not have been as hot as the last time they were in San Bruno, they took advantage of gifts and didn’t waste opportunities. 

Walnut Creek batters were put on base an astonishing 11 times by a combination of hit-by-pitches and walks. Donnelly’s double scored two runners who had been hit, and Donnelly himself scored on a wild pitch. John Youens, who hit right after Donnelly, scored after he was hit by a pitch and a series of wild pitches brought him in to score. Youens was hit a staggering three times throughout the game.

Left fielder Kam Taylor walked with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, bringing in an insurance run. The bases were loaded in the first place in part because of a walk and a hit-by-pitch. 

The Crawdads’ ability to stay patient, not get themselves out and take advantage of free passes on a night when not many hits fell in was crucial. Even on nights when more hits fall and runs are being scored in a more traditional manner, the ability to take advantage of mistakes can be a game-changer. 

“One never knows what the score will be at the end of the game,” Crawdads head coach Brant Cummings said. “Any opportunity we have to score runs and increase our lead makes it better for us.”

ON THE RUN

Prior to the start of the season, Cummings made it known that a goal of his was for the Crawdads to lead the CCL in stolen bases. If the team has more games like Tuesday, it’ll certainly be in the running. 

Youens and shortstop Cam Calvillo — who was making his summer debut — each stole two bags and Donnelly, Taylor and center fielder Sam Jenkins each stole one base, increasing Walnut Creek’s total from 19 in seven CCL games to 26 in eight. Stealing bases is something that Cummings has wanted this team to do, and it happened a great deal against the Seagulls. 

“We have good athletes,” Cummings said on Friday. “We’ve got some guys that understand how to steal bases, and that’s going to create more opportunities for us.”

Donnelly scored on a wild pitch after stealing third in the third inning and Calvillo scored on a sacrifice fly after stealing second base in the fifth inning. Both would’ve scored in their respective frames even if they didn’t steal, but by the two of them running wild, as well as their teammates, they stayed out of double plays and put more pressure on the Seagulls by putting themselves 90 feet closer to scoring. 

Walnut Creek’s base running strategy has yielded lots of success early in the season and the team appears to be stealing more bags as time goes on. The Crawdads will continue to run and hope that it can help carry them to a CCL championship. 

NO-HIT ZONE 

When Seagulls first baseman Tate Lewis hit a bloop single into center field in the fourth inning off of right-hander Peter Storjohann, he gave San Francisco its first hit of the game. The Crawdads’ pitching staff would only allow one more. 

Walnut Creek’s arms gave up six free passes — an improvement over some recent games, but still a fairly large number — but hits were nearly impossible to come by. Right-handed starting pitcher Edward Said kept the Seagulls hitless through three innings, and fellow righties Carson Timothy and Raymond Olivas — Storjohann’s collegiate teammates at UC Santa Barbara this past season — each threw 1.1 innings in their ‘Dads debuts. 

Storgohann, Timothy and Olivas are a trio of reinforcements for a Crawdads pitching staff that is thin by summer ball standards and has experienced significant ups and downs so far in the young season. If the three can put together performances similar to what they did Tuesday, the Crawdads’ bullpen troubles could be solved. 

“We didn’t allow many hits, and we didn’t allow many base runners,” Cummings said. “We just threw more strikes, these guys did a pretty good job of that.”