Scott Mandrell pulls a ball foul on Tuesday. Mandrell would later double down the left-field line.
Three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning was just what Bishop Diego’s baseball team needed on Tuesday in its CIF Division 4 playoff game with Godinez.
The Cardinals came away with a 3-2 victory in the wild-card game and advances to Friday’s first round. Bishop Diego (15-9) will travel to face Alhambra (19-6).
The Cardinals won despite finishing the game with just one hit. Scott Mandrell’s leadoff double in the fourth inning started the three-run rally. Mandrell scored Bishop’s first run three batters later on an RBI groundout by Cole Atelian that followed a walk by Jack Gregson and a sacrifice bunt by Nolan Tooley. Two more walks to RJ Cordeiro and Luke Speier loaded the bases for Matt Shotwell. The freshman hit a tricky ball to the right side of the infield that led to an error and two runs to score.
Godinez’s starting pitcher Guillermo Sanchez kept the Cardinals off balance through three innings with an unconventional windup and three-quarters delivery. The Grizzlies took a 2-0 lead with runs in the third and fourth innings.
Giovanni Cuellar relieved Sanchez in the fifth innings and Danny Hernandez came in to pitch in the seventh. The trio struck out six batters while allowing one earned run and the one hit.
“Definitely a team that has better pitchers than we’ve seen all year,” said Scott Mandrell, who played in the Tri-Valley League this year with Oaks Christian and NCAA D1 pitching recruit Phil Bickford.
Nolan Tooley started on the mound for the Cardinals but experienced some shoulder tightness in the second inning and came out between innings. Tooley struck out five in his short time on the bump.
“That was kind of a tough adjustment we had to make,” said Cardinals assistant coach Kai Solin.
The Cardinals coaching staff turned to their senior leader Jack Gregson, who pitched the final five innings to earn the victory.
“I didn’t think I was going to pitch. I though Nolan was going to go all the way with how good he was pitching,” Gregson said. “But when I saw he was hurting, I had a feeling I would come in, get warmed up, and be in the game, so I did the best I could.
Gregson allowed a run in each of the first two innings he pitched but shut out the Grizzlies the rest of the way.
Cole Atelian handled catching duties on Tuesday because starting catcher John Salda was in Texas on a recruiting trip. The Cardinals had expected to begin postseason play on Friday.
Salda, a senior, will be back for Friday’s game at Alhambra.
“This is for our catcher John,” Gregson said. “I don’t want my brother to not be here for his last high school game. I want him to be here and this is for him.”
Atelian had a strong game in Salda’s place, throwing out a runner trying to steal third base.
“He did one heck of a job,” Gregson said.
BISHOP DIEGO 3, GODINEZ 2
Godinez 001 100 0 – 2 5 2
Bishop 000 300 x – 2 1 2
G – Sanchez, Cuellar (5), D. Hernandez (7), and Morales. BD – Tooley, Gregson (3), and Atelian.2B – Mandrell, Padilla.
