The Atascadero High School baseball team was shutout by Highland, 3-0, in the CIF Central Section Division 3 championship game on Saturday afternoon inside Bob Bennett Stadium on the campus of Fresno State.
The Greyhounds flirted with disaster in the first few innings.
After loading up the bases with no outs in the bottom of the second, pitcher Justin Vose recorded the first out with a pickoff to third base. Vose followed it up with a strikeout for the second out, and they got out of the mess thanks to a caught stealing by catcher Gavin Martinez.
Highland struck first blood in the bottom of the fourth inning as Griffen Scarry lofted an RBI base hit to center field to score Louie Salas.
The Scots added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks to an RBI single and a wild pitch, making it 3-0.
The Greyhounds recorded just their third hit in the seventh inning off the bat of Martinez, but he was left stranded to end the game.
“Well, I’m really proud of them, that’s one. To be able to string four games together and win a championship game, it is difficult,” head coach Joe Davis said. “They worked hard, and they got to this point. I’m proud of them, but we just didn’t have it today. What a huge accomplishment, not only for our community but this team. I’m proud of them.”
Atascadero ends its Division 3 runner-up season with a 12-18 overall record.
