
Submitted photo – The Crusaders celebrate their league title on Saturday.
New-look team, same old Crusaders.
After graduating 10 seniors from last year’s NorCal state championship roster, this year’s St. Bernard’s team features 10 combined freshmen and sophomores, but that hasn’t slowed them down them much.
On Saturday, the Crusaders clinched the Little 4 championship with two games to spare, sweeping a doubleheader at Hoopa and improving to 10-0 in league play.
The Crusaders took the opener 9-0 and won game two 12-0 in five innings.
Senior Tyler Dimmick led the way once again and continues to play at an MVP level, both on the mound and at the plate.
Dimmick finished the day a perfect 4-for-4 with three doubles and drove in five of his team’s runs.
Dimmick also combined with Mateo Gutierrez and Michael Manzi to pitch a no-hitter in the opener, with Gutierrez striking out five in four innings.
Gutierrez also made some noise at the plate in game one and was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Manzi and Brayden Luna each added two hits and scored a run.
The speedy Tyson Meyer rounded out an overall strong team performance by going 1-for-3 and stealing three bases.
In game two, Jason Meyer and Luke Brunton combined on the mound for the shutout victory.
Meyer got the start and threw three innings, allowing two hits and striking out two, before Brunton came in to throw a pair of hitless innings and struck out four.
Brunton, a freshman, also was 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in a pair of runs, while teammate Dylan Jimenez was 2-for-2 with two RBIs.
The win was the ninth in 10 games for the SB boys, who are 15-7.
Hoopa dropped to 0-10 in league play.
The league title guarantees the SB boys a No. 1 seed and first-round bye in the upcoming Charlie Lakin tournament.
Categories: baseball, St. Bernard's