Turlock Christian baseball made easy work of Big Valley Christian on Wednesday to secure the Central California Athletic Alliance League championship. Pitcher Gavin Farinha put together a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts to add to his stellar season.
“We entered this season with the goal of competing for the league championship and positioning ourselves for a good playoff run,” said head coach Bill York. “We have accomplished both of those and are peaking at the right time.”
Things got started early for the Eagles when Beau Blake brought in the first run off of a single. The Eagles really opened things up in the fourth inning though when they scored six runs. Caden Alldrin and Jayden Espinoza had timely singles, and Rob York had one of the best hits of the game with a double.
The game only lasted one more inning and the game was called in the fifth with the Eagles winning 12-0. The Eagles took advantage of their opportunities by scoring 12 runs off of nine hits.
Manny Delgadillo leads off to get into scoring position.
Julian and Jayden Espinoza both went 3-4 in the game and had four RBIs between them. Colin Willingham helped get himself in scoring position with two stolen bases.
This game was a fitting cap to Farinha’s dominant junior season. The pitcher had pitched a 0.00 ERA with eight wins in 45 innings. He also fanned 102 strikeouts.
Turlock Christian finished with an overall record of 18-4, and a 9-1 record in league play. This is the Eagles’ first league championship since the 2018-2019 season. They now turn their attention to the playoffs where they hope to continue their success from the regular season.
“We have been anchored by great pitching performances, especially the stellar season Farinha has put together,” said York. “Our lock down defense has also contributed, and will be key for playoff success.”
