Cardiac Crawdads push past San Francsisco

Shocking, dumbfounded, loss of words are all words that would be applicable for the thoughts in the dugout before the eighth inning. Walnut Creek, which has blown out San Francisco in every prior matchup, trailed three times throughout. After clawing back to tie the game up twice before, Walnut Creek surrendered the lead in the eighth inning. 

Then everything flipped. The Crawdads had a familiar sight: an explosive inning. The eighth inning scoring started and ended with the same guy, sophomore outfielder and designated hitter Sutter Moss. Down one with one on, Moss drilled a moonshot deep into center field to shift momentum back. 

Two batters later, sophomore outfielder Dylan Perez smacked a no-doubt home run to right field. Then, to cap the scoring in the eighth, Moss singled to third base, extending the lead to five and sealing the game's fate. 

Walnut Creek yet again relied on an explosive six-run inning for victory, this time beating San Francisco 11-6. Walnut Creek manager Brant Cummings mentioned the resiliency his hitters have and what makes them so effective. 

"We have scoring flexibility," Cummings said. "We don't necessarily have to get home runs. We steal bases, we fight for a hit if necessary, we hit it on the ground, we score them with runners in scoring position, less than two outs and that is all offensive flexibility." 

Junior infielder Kevin Parker Jr. and Moss led the team with two hits apiece. Parker Jr. went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a run scored and a walk. Moss went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run. 

Moss talked about what his mental mindset was during his at-bat, starting the eighth-inning rally.  

"I struggled throughout the day," Moss said. "I had to get out of my head a little bit that last at bat, probably get a team at bat, but I felt pretty good going up there and driving them in. I think it was a good start to the rally, and we capitalized after that, too." 

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Miles Tenscher and freshman right-handed pitcher Jacob Kobrin both provided shut-down innings in the bullpen. The two of them allowed just three baserunners. 

Perez touched on how impactful having dominant pitchers has been all season.

"It is a great feeling," Perez said. "(San Francisco) put together a couple of hits that were soft contact and just fell. So, good job on the pitching staff for keeping the ball down and going after these guys, making them earn it. They did a great job, as always." 

Defensively, Walnut Creek found ways to track down anything. That trend continued against San Francisco on Thursday. Parker Jr., junior infielder Alijah Ramos and redshirt freshman TJ Woodson all have made tremendous plays around the infield. 

On Thursday, it was the outfielders who made an impact. Whether it was tracking down long fly balls or firing in missiles to get guys out, they have made plays throughout the year. Perez had multiple nice plays, including a throw to third to keep a runner from advancing. 

The position versatility is also present. Infielders, like Woodson, have played a game or two in the outfield, showing the athleticism this team presents. Cummings mentioned how this is one of the best outfield fielding groups he's had. 

"Our trainer (Amanda Morton) said yesterday that this might be the best defensive outfield we have ever had and she's been here every year with me for six years," Cummings said.

The win marks the Crawdads' eighth straight this season, setting a franchise-high number. Now, with a chance to do even more, they look for their ninth straight when they travel to San Francisco for a rematch on Friday, June 26 at 6:05 p.m. PDT.