Kyle Robeniol and the Los Osos baseball team overcame visiting Santa Barbara High 3-1 in Tuesday’s CIF-ss Division-2 wild-card game to advance to Thursday’s first round.
The Dons outhit the Grizzlies 8 to 4 but couldn’t score after a single run in the first inning. Los Osos scored one in the bottom of the first and two unearned runs in the second.
Santa Barbara had its opportunities, leaving runners on second and third base in two different innings.
Bryce Morison scored Santa Barbara’s run, getting a hit in the game’s very first at-bat. Skyler Sabado sacrificed Morison to second base, and Daniel McKinney produced an RBI single. Trevor Moropoulos followed with a single through the right side on a hit-and-run play. McKinney advanced to third, and Moropoulos stole second base, but the Dons settled for one.
Dons assistant coach Mike Cooney credited Robenoil with having a quality breaking ball that helped him get out of trouble. Robenoil earned his sixth win of the season, and Ryan Day recorded a save for holding Santa Barbara scoreless in the seventh inning.
Sophomore Kevin Gowdy pitched a complete game for the Dons. Gowdy allowed one earned run and four hits in six innings.
Ian True turned in a two-hit day for Santa Barbara.
“Other than a little shakiness early, we played well,” Cooney said.
Santa Barbara, which reached CIF for the 16th-straight season, has 10 seniors on the team. The Dons won 17 games this season and finished 8-4 in the Channel League.
LINESCORE
SB 100 000 0 – 1 8 3
LO 120 000 x – 3 4 1SB – Gowdy, and Sabado. LO – Robenoil, Day (7), and Cadel.
WP – Robenoil (6-4) LP Gowdy (6-3) S – Day
2B – Grandcolas, Robenoil
