Herd Win SJS Div. 1 North With Two Wins

Maybe it's because baseball coach Jeff Carlson has been there and done that ten times before, but Elk Grove came into Sacramento City College's Union Stadium Friday night with a real confidence that they would beat Sac-Joaquin Section Division I top-seed Oak Ridge two times in the North Section championship.
Just ask Riley Lamb.
"I was beyond confident," he said. "I knew if we just showed up, we'd win."
The Herd used solid pitching, timely hitting and quality defense to beat the Trojans, 6-2, twice, to put themselves into next week's Division I final against Tracy at the University of the Pacific.
The guy who was key to the clinching win in the nightcap was pitcher Christian Scott, who for the first time ever pitched six consecutive innings of baseball in high school.

Elk Grove won its 11th North Division I championship Friday

"It was a memorable experience," Scott said shyly.
He allowed just two runs and ... hits to help Elk Grove wrap up its 11th North Section championship. Scott knew Thursday he and Dylan Carlson would be called upon to start on the mound.
"Dylan and knew it would be our turn and we'd have to do it to wrap this up," Scott said.
Carlson threw a complete game in the opener on Friday. Alex Zalasky came on in relief of Scott to pitch the seventh inning of game two.
The only rocky inning Scott encountered was the second inning where Oak Ridge scored two runs and had the bases loaded but Carlson, who played centerfield in game two, ran down a screaming line drive for the final out of the inning.
"I just tried to keep my composure," Scott said. "I knew I had a great defense behind me  and they made some plays."
Scott has been watching Herd baseball since he was little hoping for his chance to contribute to a championship. Friday night that came true.
"To fill this role and pitch a pivotal game was great for me and I just loved it," he said.
Three double plays turned by shortstop Josh Urps and second baseman Aaron Wong helped Elk Grove greatly in the second game.
Friday marked the fourth straight year the Herd played in this game.
"You see how you did it and then go back to that when you prepare for the (North Section Championship)," Carlson said.
He also claimed that playing a tough non-league schedule of schools with good baseball programs also prepares the Herd for nights like Friday. In the first game, Elk Grove faced Oak Ridge ace Trenton Denholm who was 10-0 with a 0.55 ERA, having surrendered only two earned runs all year. But, in the third inning Erek Bolton doubled off the leftfield fence to drive in two runs for the Herd off Denholm. And, for the first time this year, Denholm didn't last an entire game.
"When we see a big (NCAA) D-one guy like we saw tonight, we won't be scared," Carlson explained. "We've seen those guys early on in the preseason so it's nothing we haven't seen."
Now, there's one more hurdle between now and Elk Grove's tenth Section championship in baseball. It's the Tracy Bulldogs, who wrapped up its first-ever South Section championship Friday by defeating St. Mary's, 6-4.
The Bulldogs and the Herd played once this year and that was in the opener of the Scott Boras Baseball Classic in March. Tracy won the game, 5-4 in eight innings.
The pair will play in a best-two-out-of-three series beginning Friday at 7 p.m. at Klein Family Field on the University of the Pacific campus in Stockton. Game two will be Saturday at noon with a third game, if necessary, to follow.