Redding Christian baseball, U-Prep and Pleasant Valley softball bring home CIF titles

Kashus Kochan lived every baseball player’s dream Saturday at Tiger Field during the Northern Section Division VI finals.

The Redding Christian sophomore delivered a walk-off single as the Lions fought back after being down two runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat Biggs 6-5 for the title.

“I knew he (Biggs pitcher Dennis Dewhurst) left me a high fastball and I kinda daddy-hacked at it, you know what I mean,” Kochan said. “So I knew he was going to throw it again and I was expecting that high fastball and I knew where I needed to put it.”

Kochan turned around the fastball into the left-centerfield gap, scoring catcher Gavin Webb from second with the title-winning run.

The Lions entered the bottom of the final frame down 5-4 after the Wolverines plated an insurance run on an RBI single by Dewhurst.

“That was a tough spot to be in. We told them we believe in them and to believe in themselves,” Redding Christian coach Matt Webb said. “This is a group that fights and that’s exactly what they did. Coming back down two to walk off is not surprising but definitely an accomplishment.”

In the bottom of the seventh, Gavin Webb drew a lead-off walk on four pitches. Brodie Ogden singled to right and Webb came in on an error as the Biggs defense tried to back-pick Ogden at first. The ball went out of play and Ogden wound up at third with no outs.

Max Beasley then singled down the third base line, plating Ogden and knotting the score at five. The senior shortstop then reached second on a delayed steal before Webb walked. Beasley looked to have swiped third, but came off the bag and was tagged out before Wyatt Shaw popped up to the pitcher.

Then Kochan came up to deliver with two outs.

“I was just thinking I need to get a piece or at least a base hit for the next guy,” he said. “I did not think I hit it 405 (feet), but that’s what my coaches told me."

The late-inning heroics were set up not only by the insurance run from the Wolverines in the seventh but also by a mighty swing from Davis Long in the fifth.

Trailing 3-1, Long sent an 0-1 pitch into the netting in left field, a mammoth shot that spun the momentum.

“He’s a great hitter and I gave him a low-middle fastball that he pieced,” Kochan said. “Every pitch can’t be perfect.”

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Division V

Etna 6, Los Molinos 2

The Lions got four runs in the first innings and cruised to the win over the Bulldogs in the second game of the day at Tiger Field.

Noah Hubbard led off the game with a single, one of four hits in the inning, and Emmett Stacher and Clayton Harris each had an RBI. Kyle Fowles also had an RBI on a safety squeeze as Etna sent eight men to the plate in the opening frame.

Etna would tack on runs in the third and fourth. In the third Karsen Hansen’s sac fly plated Emmitt Griggs and Hubbard scored his second run of the game in the fourth on an error by the centerfielder.

Los Molinos scored one in the fourth and one in the fifth. Kyson Button plated the Bulldogs’ first run on the back end of a double steal and starting pitcher Josh Alcazar scored in the fifth on a Brayden Weibling sacrifice fly.

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Division II

Chico 2, Red Bluff 0

The Panthers scored two in the sixth for the title.

Division III

Gridley 6, Lassen 3

The second-seeded Bulldogs upset top-seeded Lassen, avenging a 5-3 loss to the Grizzles four days earlier.

Division IV

Colusa 4, Winters 3

The RedHawks fell behind 3-0 after the first inning, but scored two in the second and walked it off with two in the seventh for the title.

Softball

Division IV

U-Prep 8, West Valley 1

The Panthers won their first softball section title behind a monster day from sophomore hitter Leigha Wood.

She clubbed two home runs, going 3 for 4, bringing her season total to 13 long balls.

Senior Gracie Hornbuckle struck out 13 and allowed one run on eight hits for her 20th victory on the season.

Division II/III

Pleasant Valley 5, Las Plumas 3

The Vikings grabbed the title, scoring three in the third, one in the fifth and two in the sixth as the Thunderbirds tried to make it a game with three of their own in the top of the sixth.

Division V

East Nicolaus 11, Los Molinos 4

The top-seeded Spartans erupted four runs in the third and four more in the fourth to blow the game open.

Division V

Etna 13, Biggs 12

The Lions got the game-winning run in the eighth inning as both the softball and baseball programs brought home the section title.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Redding Christian baseball, U-Prep and Pleasant Valley softball bring home CIF titles