Walnut Creek blazing to start second half in record night

It was a long night at Monte Vista High School. Following its 13-3 loss to Alameda heading into the All-Star break, Walnut Creek needed to emerge victorious to start the second half of the year.

While the air surrounding the grass field was warm, the Crawdads scored quicker than the Flash could run, encapsulating the winning feeling yet again and remaining almost perfect at their home field. It was an emotional roller coaster in a happy way for Walnut Creek. Instead of the usual Player of the Game selection, those at Monte Vista High School dedicated the win to someone else, someone who might not receive as much recognition as they should. 

As the lopsided game ended, one phrase reigned over the loudspeaker: "And with that victory, manager Brant Cummings picks up win number 150 with the Crawdads." Immediately after, the loud claps and cheers from players on the field were imminent as Cummings smiled, put on his Crawdads chain designated to the Player of the Game, and removed his signature batter's helmet that he wears so often. 

Walnut Creek had a scrumptious result against Menlo Park, winning 19-4 in its first game in the second half of the season. Walnut Creek celebrated multiple good performances alongside Cummings' 150th win at the helm. 

A very thankful and surprised Cummings made sure to credit the teams he's had and currently has for the feat of achieving 150 wins as the skipper.  

"It's come a long way," Cummings said, referring to the Crawdads' success as a team in his tenure. "So, when I took over, there was a bit of a mountain to climb, a little bit from a reputation standpoint. A lot of people thought, 'Oh, that's just the Crawdads.' Luckily, that's changed now. It's changed because of people like (Ryan) Ellis, Ryan Brome, Trevor Warner, who's in pro ball right now, just several guys. I was lucky enough to attract those guys to come play here. People want to come here to play. It's a good feeling."

After scoring three runs against Alameda before the break, the offense fired on all cylinders. Six Crawdads hitters recorded double-digit hits and every starter got at least one hit. The Crawdads generated 19 hits and 13 RBIs while walking eight times and striking out three. 

Catcher Brandon Clizbe led all Walnut Creek hitters in hits with three. The New Mexico State product has turned his fortunes around at the plate, becoming one of the more consistent staples in the lineup. Designated hitter Ryan Ellis went a perfect 2-for-2 on his day, scoring twice, driving in two and walking twice. 

Hitting comes in bunches. Clearing the nerves from the beginning, as Ellis noted, is crucial to sustaining long-forming offensive production as the Crawdads achieved on Tuesday. Clizbe mentioned what else is helping this team stay hot at the plate. 

"Hitting is very contagious," Clizbe said. "Once everyone's doing it ahead of you, it's easy to keep it rolling, keep the line moving, and have fun with the guys."

On the flip side, the pitching staff, who've been dominant all season, started the second half of the year on the perfect note in their eyes. Cummings mentioned limiting walks while focusing on first-pitch strikes as a key to success for the season earlier in the year. While they may have struggled with that early on, everyone is bought into that message now and it shows. 

Walnut Creek walked four guys and threw over 57% of pitches for strikes. Right-hander Kalani Jauregui worked three innings, allowing three runs — only one of which was earned — while striking out two. 

Right-hander Vance Haskins, alongside left-hander Michael Olsen, had dominant innings in the win against the Legends Tuesday night. Working a combined three innings, they allowed no walks, one hit batter, one hit, no runs and struck out three. They also threw 17 of their 26 pitches for strikes, garnering a 65.38% clip. 

Haskins credited the camaraderie of the staff as a key reason for its success and a key point in the staff's constant improvement. 

"I'm not here every day, but I know we have a lot of different arms coming in, and I think we all kind of mesh well," Haskins said. "We all get along well and that just makes it a lot easier to throw and have good camaraderie amongst us. It makes everything easier." 

The Crawdads head onto the bus for a long ride into Southern California to take on Arroyo Seco for two games on Wednesday and Thursday, July 8 and 9 at 5:35 p.m. PDT, before taking on San Luis Obispo on Friday, July 10 at 6:00 p.m. PDT to end the road stand.