El Capitan arms stay untouchable as Gauchos deal another shutout in playoff opener.
The El Capitan High pitching staff has been on a roll the past few weeks. On Wednesday, it was Benny Centeno’s turn in the Gauchos’ playoff opener and the senior right-hander continued the incredible pitching stretch by the El Capitan pitching staff, delivering six scoreless innings as the No. 7 seeded Gauchos opened the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs with a 10-0 victory over No. 10 Sierra on Wednesday afternoon.
How strong has the El Capitan pitching staff been? Centeno extended the Gauchos’ streak to six consecutive shutouts and 39 consecutive scoreless innings as a staff. It was the third straight scoreless outing by Centeno, who improved to 8-1 with a 1.81 ERA. As a pitching staff, the Gauchos compiled a 2.49 ERA and played a big role in the program winning a fifth consecutive Central California Conference championship.
“Our pitching staff has done an excellent job of attacking the strike zone and trusting our defense to make plays behind them,” said El Capitan coach Aaron Ruiz, whose team improved to 22-7 this season. “They’ve mixed pitches well, competed consistently, and done a great job limiting free bases, which is always a key factor in any game.”
The offense hasn’t been too bad either as El Capitan has outscored its opponents 49-0 in the last six games. The Gauchos racked up 13 hits against the Timberwolves and took control of the game with a six-run third inning that opened up an early 8-0 lead. Two of the key hits during the frames were bunts laid down by Matt McQuillen and Brennan Casey that turned into hits. A throwing error by Sierra after Casey’s bunt helped the Gauchos plate two runs.
“The small game can make or break you, especially in the playoffs when every moment is magnified,” Ruiz said. “We emphasize small ball every day in practice and have made it a major part of our identity. We may not rely on big home run hitters, so our focus is on getting runners on base, moving them over, and finding ways to manufacture runs however we can.”
The small game can make or break you, especially in the playoffs when every moment is magnified. We emphasize small ball every day in practice and have made it a major part of our identity. We may not rely on big home run hitters, so our focus is on getting runners on base, moving them over, and finding ways to manufacture runs however we can.”
Cooper Gaoiran, Aidan Witt, Angel Rivera, Centeno and McQuillen all had two hits for the Gauchos with Travis Pavey and Noah Ruiz both collecting two RBIs. The game was stopped after six innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. Centeno went the distance, striking out seven while surrendering just two hits and two walks.
The Gauchos will advance to Friday’s quarterfinal game against No. 2 Vista del Lago (19-9) in Folsom at 4 p.m. The Eagles defeated No. 15 River Valley 9-1 in the first round on Wednesday. “Vista del Lago will be a very strong team with a lot of experienced players returning from last season,” Aaron Ruiz said. “They play the game hard, consistently put runners on base, and do a great job driving runs in. For us, it will come down to playing solid defense, limiting free runners, and continuing to do what has made us successful at the plate all season long.”
Wednesday’s victory gives Ruiz an opportunity to coach this group of players at least one more time. “This is a special group,” he said. “They genuinely get along, believe in one another, and understand the importance of playing for each other every day. We feel our success comes from true team wins, with everyone contributing in some way each time we take the field. I feel truly grateful to coach such a close-knit team that competes for one another every single day.”
Del Oro 5, Atwater 4 – The Falcons took an early 3-1 lead, but the defending section champs battled back to earn the win in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs. Cooper Lanum hit a home run and drove in three runs for Atwater. Andres Reyna recorded two of the Falcons’ four hits. Atwater finished the season with an impressive 22-6-1 record.
Christian Brothers 10, Buhach Colony 0 – Ben Gull fired a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts to help lead the Falcons to a victory in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs. Johnathan De Loa and Chase Sanderson both picked up hits for the Thunder.
Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.