Rocklin Clinches SFL Title

6/24/2009 11:01:15 AM

Register today to print this article

Rocklin and Granite Bay, two Sierra Foothill League rivals, met up on Thursday where second place Granite Bay was looking to prevent visiting Rocklin from capturing another league title. However, it was the early offense of Rocklin and the pitching of Matt Fielding that secured a 5-3 win for the Thunder to make it back-to-back SFL titles.

The first inning was a big one for Rocklin who made a statement right away when senior Pat Stover crushed a 3-run homer to put Rocklin up 3-0 after the first inning.

Rocklin added two more runs in the second inning thanks to an RBI single by Justin Castro that scored Kyle Garvella for the first run. Moments later, Kevin Spaulding followed with an RBI single that brought home Steven Hurley to up the Rocklin lead to 5-0 after two innings of play.

The Grizzlies started a rally of their own in the third that began with a walk to Sam Flajole and then a base hit by TJ Israel to put runners at first and second with no outs, but two batters later Flajole would score Granite Bay’s first run of the game on a passed ball to make it 5-1. Still in the third, with runners on and one out, junior Jake Marjama hit a ball up the middle, beat the throw to first, which plated two more runs cutting the Rocklin lead to 5-3.

Despite the three runs in the third for Granite Bay, Fielding was looking good all afternoon for Rocklin has he held a tough Granite Bay squad in check for most of the game before exiting after six innings of work.

Granite Bay had one last chance to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the seventh. With two runners on and two out, Rocklin’s Jason Hampton got the final out of the game on a grounder to short where they threw the runner out at first giving Rocklin the 5-3 victory. Rocklin players rushed to the center of the field in celebration of yet another league title with still just one week left in the regular season.

Stover finished 2 for 4 with the homer, a single, and three RBI’s. Fielding picked up the victory for Rocklin where he allowed just five hits and struck out eight.

Granite Bay (17-7, 10-5) was led at the plate by Travis Israel (2 for 3) and Jake Marjama (2 for 3, 2 RBI).

For Rocklin (18-7, 14-3), it was their fifth straight win and the seventh in their last eight games. Rocklin will host Granite Bay on Monday (May 4) for their final game of the regular season, but Granite Bay will still have three games left to play with match ups at Rocklin before and home and home with Del Oro.

Fielding struck out eight and allowed just five hits to earn the victory for Rocklin

Rocklin's Stover touches home following his 3-run HR in the 1st inning