Coast Union baseball team continues winning streak after 4-game shutout
.jpg "Bronco senior Robert Saunders pitched a complete game shutout against Pacifica Christian on Saturday, March 25, 2023.")
After losing the first two games to rain-outs, then being blanked twice (9-0, 7-0) by Minarets High School on March 3 and 4, the Coast Union High School baseball team went on a shutout roll, winning four straight games without allowing a run.
The Broncos defeated Laton High School on the road, 6-0, on March 20. Then they downed Laton again at Coast Union, 8-0, onMarch 24.
On March 25 at home, Coast defeated Pacificia Christian High School from Santa Monica, 8-0. Later that day, the Broncos shut out Kings Christian High School, 14-0.
The shutout streak ended on March 28, but the winning streak is still alive after the Broncos squeaked out an 8-7 victory at Valley Christian Academy (VCA).
Valley Christian refused to play the Broncos in football last season and took a forfeit because Coast Union had a girl on the team.
However, VCA seemingly had no problem playing the 2023 version of the Bronco baseball squad, which features two girls, Emily Reed and Andrea Aguilar.
Going into the top of the seventh inning, the Broncos were tied with the Lions, 7-7. With one out, Giovanni Garcia got on base and took second base on a passed ball.
Garcia then took off to steal third base and the catcher’s throw went into left field, allowing Garcia to score the go-ahead run.
Caiden Kennedy had pitched very well up to this point.
However, high school pitchers are only allowed to throw 110 pitches, and Kennedy passed that threshold before going out to the mound in the bottom of the seventh.
Head coach Brian Machado brought in second baseman Jovan Merlos to try to save the game for Coast Union.
Two Lions got on base right away, but there was a base-running error so they had one out and a runner on second in scoring position.
The next batter struck out and the last hope for VCA hit a bounder to Kennedy at shortstop.
The senior fielded it cleanly and fired to first to keep the winning streak alive.
The win over VCA, a Coast Valley League opponent, places the Broncos on top in the league with a 1-0 record (5-2 overall).
The Broncos will play Coastal Christian, another CVL team, in an away game on Wednesday, and they host Coastal Christian on Thursday.
On Friday, Coast hosts San Luis Obispo Classical Academy.
Both home games will be broadcast on BOB FM, 105.3, at 3:30 p.m.