SLO High sweeps rival Paso Robles in season baseball series. Here’s how they did it
As far as San Luis Obispo County baseball rivalries go, SLO High and Paso Robles High are about as fierce of opponents as any other two local teams.
In a high energy game Friday, the stands filled with fans, the Tigers (8-6, 6-6 Mountain League) had the upper hand this season, beating Paso Robles 12-5 at home on Taylor Field to sweep the Bearcats (5-7, 2-4) on the season.
SLO beat Paso Robles 10-3 on Wednesday and 4-0 on Feb. 25.
Last year, Paso Robles beat SLO in all three of their matchups, so it was a reversal of fortune in 2022.
But Paso Robles was playing this week without one of its stars — pitcher and third baseman Carson Turnquist, who’s committed to play baseball at Oklahoma University.
Turnquist is still recovering from a leg injury suffered on a slide while playing against SLO in February.
San Luis Obispo relied on steady innings from righty pitcher, Noah Clausen, to get some big outs early in the game.
The score was knotted 1-1 before the Tigers erupted in the fourth for nine runs, capitalizing on walks, errors and well placed hits.
“It’s definitely sad playing Paso for the last time, but it’s good to go out the way we did,” said Clausen, a senior. “I think a lot of seniors on the team feel the same way, that we just kind of want to do the best we can in our last year.”
SLO emphasizes good at-bats, strikes
SLO’s Gavin Righetti and Bo Victor were each 2-for-4. Righetti had three RBI.
Clausen got the win on the mound, Victor coming on in relief to close out the game.
“We had one big inning but we also strung together a lot of hits and just scored runs, which is always great,” said Righetti, a first baseman.
SLO High coach Josh Miller said Clausen did a good job of attacking the zone, limiting the Bearcats to no earned runs through four before Paso Robles rallied to pull with 10-5 in the fifth inning, including a sharply hit RBI ground rule double by Kyle Bonham, who had two hits in the game.
“(Clausen) probably competes the best out of everybody,” Miller said. “That allows him to go in and attack the zone early, which allows him to stay in the game longer.”
Paso Robles’ Loyola Marymount University commit, Bryson Hoier, nearly hit a couple of fly balls out of the yard that were caught, one resulting in a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Clausen, who also has two home runs on the season at the plate, said after a slow start this season, losing three of their first four, the Tigers have come on strong.
“We definitely have picked it up, and everyone’s contributing,” Clausen said. “Hogan Benson has been really hot, hitting over 400. (Second baseman) Daniel Bush has really came on as a junior. He’s walked like a million times over the last four games. So it’s really just the whole team.”
SLO catcher Ayden Kim gunned down a runner at second base on Friday, displaying a strong arm, to limit any Bearcat momentum for a late-game rally. And Kim scored a run after getting on base on an error.
Benson, who entered the game hitting .406 to lead the team, was 1-for-3 with a RBI in the contest.
Benson, SLO’s southpaw starter on Wednesday against Paso Robles, said that his approach at the plate has been to hit line drives up the middle.
“That just allows me to hit outside pitches and inside pitches better,” Benson said. “I’m trying to hit low line drives up the middle and occasionally those balls catch some air for a double or triple.”
Benson said he enjoys facing lefties, getting the chance Friday versus Paso Robles starter Austin Taylor.
“I think they’re starting to understand the importance of just putting the ball in play and having the quality at-bats to be able to hand the bat to the next guy and keep the inning alive,” Miller said of the Tigers. “They’re making the plays that they’re capable of and not trying to do too much and that’s relieving pressure.”
Reversing course after slow start
Benson said that Righetti High (first place in Mountain League) and Arroyo Grande (second place) will be two tough teams ahead for SLO in league play.
“The beginning of the year was a little shaky,” Benson said. “We weren’t really sure who we were going to be. And I think we’re starting to find our identity, which is cool.”
Miller said the team has a lot of quality baseball players with high IQ for the game, but nobody who necessary jumps out as a superstar.
Former SLO High star Brooks Lee, currently excelling at Cal Poly, is projected to a first round Major League Baseball selection at the end of this season, likely a Top 5 pick.
Nobody is expected to be drafted this year on the Tigers, but some have the chance to play at the next level, possibility at Cuesta College of other college programs, Miller said.
“Just everyday, you just go prove it,” Miller said. “There’s probably somebody in the stands (assessing the talent) for the guys that want to move on. So you never know and just every at bat, don’t take anything for granted.”
This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 8:53 PM.
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