Celebrations were a little more flamboyant than usual.
East Union football sparked it. Boys basketball carried it forward. Girls basketball added to it.
Now, baseball has joined the party.
Behind a six-run third inning, the No. 4 Lancers defeated No. 5 Bradshaw Christian School 6-4 on Friday, May 8, in the quarterfinals of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV baseball playoffs to reach their first semifinal since 2011.
Football reached its first semifinal since 1989 in the fall, while boys basketball reached its first since 1990 and girls basketball its first since 1994.
“All year, we’ve talked about teamwork,” senior catcher Kirk Simoni said. “Building each other up and committing to the team. Today, everybody came together the way we usually do. We brought energy, capitalized on our opportunities and played for each other.”
Part of all three historic runs were Simoni and center fielder Jackson Fay. Simoni went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run, while Fay finished 2-for-3.
Third baseman Brayden Camara, another contributor from East Union’s football run, chipped in by going 1-for-3 with an RBI.
“It’s just the love of competition each and every day,” Simoni said. “We love to compete. That’s what we come out here to do — football, basketball, baseball. We just love competing.”
Coach Dan Bauer added, “To be a multisport athlete at a high level, you have to put the work in. These guys do that when nobody’s looking.”
Still, Bauer said it was Peyton Heath who “put us on his back.”
The junior tossed the first complete game of his career, throwing 111 pitches while allowing six hits and two earned runs with six strikeouts.
“We got so much faith when Peyton heaths on the mound,” Bauer said. “Guys just know if something happens, he’s going to shut the door.”
Simoni added, “He pitched great. He made my job easy.”
And Heath wasn’t done there.
At the plate, he went 1-for-3 and ripped a bases-clearing double that ignited East Union’s six-run third inning.
“It’s just a mindset thing,” Heath said. “Trusting who I am and trusting the work I’ve put in.”
On Tuesday, May 12, East Union will travel to face No. 1 Roseville High School to open the three-game semifinal series. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, May 14, at East Union, while Game 3, if necessary, would be played Friday, May 15, at Roseville.
“All year long, we’ve talked about sticking to our game,” Heath said. “That’s what we’ve done. When people get on base, we stay composed and stay within ourselves.”
‘The fruits of our labor’
Six runs proved to be enough.
After giving up a run in the opening inning, the bottom of the third came — and so did the bottom of the lineup.
“Our lineup at the top is strong, and I don’t think that’s any secret,” Bauer said. “If we can get guys on in front of him, it changes things. Jackson Fay only gets to lead off once.”
Julian Ledesma started the inning with a walk, Ryder Tompkins followed with a single and Efren Diaz laid down a bunt to load the bases.
That sent Fay to the plate.
He flew out, but the inning stayed alive with only one out.“I knew we were already applying pressure,” Heath said. “I just had to stay within myself.”
One pitch after fouling the first one off, Heath smoked a double just inside the first-base foul pole to put East Union in front 3-1.
Camara stepped in next and delivered another RBI double.
“This started all the way back in our freshman year,” Simoni said. “We’ve had this core group, and we always felt like we were capable of doing something big. After all the trials and tribulations over the last four years, we’re finally seeing the fruits of our labor.”
That left the cleanup hitter.
Cleanup is exactly what Simoni did. He jumped on an off-speed pitch from Ethan Quach and took off sprinting, believing he had just lifted a routine pop fly.
Instead, the ball kept carrying until it cleared the left-field fence for a two-run homer.
“That’s why I busted my butt around the bases,” Simoni said. “Once I saw it go over, it was a sigh of relief.”
Bauer added, “We’ve been working on his swing in practice. I’m just so proud of how hard that kid has worked, and it’s great seeing it pay off.”
‘Stronger as the game goes along’
One at-bat spoke to Bauer as a pitcher.
With two outs in the seventh inning and already 107 pitches deep, Bradshaw Christian’s Max Wolf stepped in with runners on first and second. Heath had battled through trouble earlier in the fifth inning, but Bauer stayed with him once again.
“Peyton gets stronger as the game goes along,” Bauer said.
Before the at-bat, though, Bauer made it clear this would be Heath’s final hitter.
“This is where you’re at,” Bauer told him. “Finish it, big dog.”
Four pitches later, Heath had finished it.
“I just wanted to go out there and dominate them,” Heath said. “Just take control and own the moment.”
This article originally appeared on The Record: East Union baseball advances to first CIF SJS semifinal since 2011
Reporting by Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
