PALO ALTO, CA – JUNE 16: Valley Christian’s Easton Kreshel (11) gestures as he celebrates his three run home run against Palo Alto High in the fifth inning of their Central Coast Section Division I baseball semifinal game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Valley Christian won 10-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
The Warriors will play for their fourth straight CCS championship on Saturday after their offense exploded for 10 runs and senior Jonathan Cymrot surrendered only three over seven innings to advance over No. 2 Palo Alto in the Division I semifinals Wednesday.
“My mindset was, ‘Let’s go get the CCS championship,’” Cymrot said after going the distance Wednesday. “It was great to get this win, but we’re not happy until we win on Saturday.”
Cymrot also drove in two runs from the cleanup hole with a pair of sacrifice flies, but Jacob Hudson and Jeff Heard delivered the bulk of the offense. Hudson got the Warriors on the board with a two-run home run in the third inning, then scored again after a double in the fifth inning and a home run by Easton Kreshel.
Heard scored twice, then knocked in the Warriors’ eighth and ninth runs on his second double of the game in the sixth inning, Valley’s second straight frame with a three-spot, extending its lead as wide as eight runs.
“In a game like this, you have to score runs,” coach John Diatte said. “But the biggest deal was Jon. Jon was able to keep their run total down and threw strikes. Jon is one of those guys who keeps the team involved, so it’s a team win on the defensive side.”
It took until Zander Darby’s triple in the sixth inning for any Viking besides Xavier Esquer to record a hit off Cymrot. Darby scored the Vikings’ third and final run on a sacrifice fly by Aidan Berger.
The Warriors will have their full pitching staff available for the championship game Saturday, after Cymrot needed fewer than 75 pitches to eat all seven innings on Wednesday.
For a second straight season, the Warriors eliminated Palo Alto from the CCS playoffs.
The Warriors’ win sets up a rematch of the most recent Open final after top-seeded Archbishop Mitty earned a walk-off win over Los Gatos in its semifinal. Valley knocked off Mitty 2-0 in 2019 for its third straight title.
The COVID-19 pandemic meant there was no CCS baseball last spring.
Diatte said he reminded his team prior to the game that it had been 16 months since they got word there wouldn’t be a season last spring.
“And now we’re out here and we get to play for another championship game,” Diatte said. “But it’s never just another one. It takes a lot of hard work and breaks have to go your way.”
PALO ALTO, CA – JUNE 16: Valley Christian pitcher Jonathan Cymrot pitches against Palo Alto High in their Central Coast Section Division I baseball semifinal game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Valley Christian won 10-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) PALO ALTO, CA – JUNE 16: Palo Alto’s Dominic De Feo (5) is out at second as Valley Christian’s Michael Castaneda (22) celebrates a double play by Trevor Haskins (1) in the fifth inning of their Central Coast Section Division I baseball semifinal game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Valley Christian won 10-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) PALO ALTO, CA – JUNE 16: Valley Christian’s Easton Kreshel (11) celebrates his three run home run with Jeff Heard (3) against Palo Alto High in the fifth inning of their Central Coast Section Division I baseball semifinal game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Valley Christian won 10-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) PALO ALTO, CA – JUNE 16: Valley Christian’S Jacob Hudson (6) scores on a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Cymrot (14) against Palo Alto High in the fifth inning of their Central Coast Section Division I baseball semifinal game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Valley Christian won 10-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) PALO ALTO, CA – JUNE 16: Valley Christian’S Jacob Hudson (6) scores on a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Cymrot (14) against Palo Alto High in their Central Coast Section Division I baseball semifinal game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Valley Christian won 10-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) PALO ALTO, CA – JUNE 16: The ball crosses the fence on a three-run home run by Valley Christian’s Easton Kreshel (11) as Palo Alto’s Henry Bolte (9) looks on in the fifth inning of their Central Coast Section Division I baseball semifinal game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Valley Christian won 10-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) PALO ALTO, CA – JUNE 16: Palo Alto’s Xavier Esquer (2) throws to first for an out against Valley Christian High in the seventh inning of their Central Coast Section Division I baseball semifinal game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Valley Christian won 10-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) PALO ALTO, CA – JUNE 16: Palo Alto’s Xavier Esquer (2) scores on his solo home run against Valley Christian High in the third inning of their Central Coast Section Division I baseball semifinal game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Valley Christian won 10-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) PALO ALTO, CA – JUNE 16: Valley Christian’s Easton Kreshel (11) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a three run home run against Palo Alto High in the fifth inning of their Central Coast Section Division I baseball semifinal game at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Valley Christian won 10-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Easton Kreshel (No. 11) celebrates with his teammates after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning of Valley Christian’s 10-3 win over Palo Alto in the CCS Division I semifinal. (Evan Webeck / Bay Area News Group)
