CAMPBELL – Most of the Westmont team was still congratulating Lakin Anderson for driving the game-winning ninth inning single into center field and pushing the Warriors into the Central Coast Section Division II semifinals when Mason Pound went over to Los Altos pitcher Eric Colgrove.
After the two threw for a combined 17 ⅔ innings and hurled 187 pitches in a classic duel, the winning pitcher would not leave the field without expressing his profound respect for his adversary, who had collapsed in despair after the final play.
“I wanted to tell him that he pitched a great game,” Pound said. “He was one of the best pitchers we’ve faced all year. ”
Pound struck out eight on 94 pitches and Colgrove allowed just six hits in 8 ⅔ innings. Both kept batters from keying in on their pinpoint fastballs by mixing in a diverse array of sliders, sinkers and curveballs.
“The sinker worked well today,” Colgrove said. “I didn’t get a lot of strikeouts, but I kept them in check with that sinker.”
The two seniors were so dominant that the first seven innings breezed by in just an hour and 20 minutes.
“If I had no emotional involvement, I would’ve thoroughly enjoyed it,” Los Altos coach Gabriel Stewart said.
Westmont, seeded fourth, finished second in the Blossom Valley Athletic League standings during the regular season. Meanwhile, Los Altos ended the regular season just behind Los Gatos in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division.
Westmont’s senior ace had thrown five complete games in the regular season, but had never gone more than the regulation seven innings. But with the season on the line, there was no taking Pound out of the game, regardless of how many jams the 6-foot-2 righty would have to work out of.
“He was just on fire today,” said Westmont coach Tony Pianto. “He kept his pitch count low through the early innings, which was really good.”
Los Altos got runners on second and third in the top of the eighth inning with one out. With the winning run 90 feet from home and fatigue seemingly setting in, Pound dug deep and struck out the next two batters swinging on pitches No. 82 and 86.
“This was my last time playing here, and we’ve come too far to lose in the first round,” Pound said.
The home team appeared to have the game won in their half of the inning when Aiden Kobata hit a single, and his pinch runner Ryan Rangel was moved over to third on a wild pitch and groundout.
But as he had done all afternoon, Colgrove induced weak contact to a waiting infielder, in this case shortstop Sly Cash. Standing almost on the outfield grass, Cash threw out the runner just in time to extend the game.
Westmont’s infield got their chance to shine in the next inning, turning a 4-6-3 double play when Joseph Dyer flipped the ball to shorstop Matthew Rienhardt, who fired an accurate bullet to Rangel.
“I think they play the best defense in our league,” Pound said.
Rienhardt showed off his bat in the bottom of the ninth with a double down the third base line. After he advanced to third on a groundout, Anderson came through with the clutch hit Westmont needed.
“It was my fourth time seeing him, so I was getting used to his movement,” Anderson said. I just waited for him to throw one over the plate, and I just got it.
Westmont improved to 20-8, and Los Altos ended its season 14-13. The Warriors will play Leigh, who beat Menlo-Atherton, on Wednesday.
