Fresno City beats Butte in NorCal playoffs play-in game
There was no denying the the Fresno City College baseball team Tuesday.
Gabe Perez's RBI double capped a two-run second, Jorge Alvarado and three relievers combined on a four-hitter and the 15th-seeded Rams beat Butte 4-1 in a Northern California Regional play-in game at John Euless Ballpark.
The Rams (23-14) -- who needed a regular-season-ending win over Merced just to gain a spot in the play-in round -- earned a trip to Stockton for a best-of-three first-round series with No. 2 Delta (27-9) beginning Friday.
Games 2 and 3 (if needed) are Saturday.
"I believe we are a better team than before," said Rams designated hitter Anthony Hawkins, who scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning. "After today's win, the morale is very high and we believe that we can go far in the playoffs and possibly win the whole thing. But we have to take it one game at a time."
Alvarado allowed runners in four of his five innings, but his only run in the third when Braxton Phillips singled and scored on a Drake Richie triple.
James Brager closed it out for his 15th career save, breaking the mark he shared with Robert Donnelly (1993-94).
Rams coach Ron Scott didn't want to to see the season end and dug deep into his pitching staff to make sure.
After lifting Alvardo, he used regular starters Connor Brogdon (one inning) and Dominic Topoozian (two) before turning to his closer.
Alvarado, who needed 73 pitches to get through five innings, has won his past four starts.
Brogdon struck out two and Topoozian had three in his two-inning stint.
"We were told that would be the plan if we're up enough," Brager said. "We would shuffle around the innings. Jorge did a great job and Connor came out and shut them down and so did Dom."
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