Maidu suffers 4-3 loss in seven innings

Maidu's Majors All-Star baseball team suffered a 4-3 loss in seven innings to Alpine Little League in the semifinals of the state tournament in Petaluma on Tuesday. Just like on Sunday against Aptos, Maidu gave up the lead late in the game except this time they didn't win it. Maidu will have to beat Aptos again on Wednesday or their All-Star run comes to an end. A win against Aptos and Maidu will have to beat Alpine Thursday and Friday to win the state championship. Their backs are up against the proverbial wall. They will need to lean on the experience they've had the last two years to get the job done. "We had our chances tonight and didn't execute defensively," Maidu Manager Justin Bovolick said. "Two-strike hitting also dictated the outcome. They did, we didn't." Alpine took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, and Maidu responded quickly and tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Tyler Yates singled with one out, moved to second on a passed ball and then onto third after Carter McIlnay's groundout. Knox Needles followed with a ground ball to third, which the third baseman threw away, allowing Yates to score. Sawyer Bovolick followed with a double to score Needles. In the next inning, Maidu scored again when Jaxon Cruz was safe on a fielder's choice and eventually scored on a base hit by Preston Ortega, which put Maidu in front, 3-2, and three outs away from victory. Unfortunately, the dreaded leadoff walk bit them in the butt in the top of the sixth inning. McIlnay walked the leadoff hitter in the top of the sixth inning, the next-to-last batter in the lineup, before striking out the second batter. The next hitter, Alpine's leadoff batter, singled to put two runners on. McIlnay got the second out of the inning, leaving Maidu one out away from victory, but a base hit tied the score at three. Maidu had a chance to win it in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Alpine returned the favor and walked the leadoff man, Keith Abicht, but they were able to get out of the jam, even after Yates sacrificed Abicht to second. McIlnay struck out looking for the second out of the inning and after walks to Needles and Bovolick, Raymond Escobar flew out to left field to end the threat. In the top of the seventh with a runner starting on second, the runner moved up to third before McIlnay got the strikeout for the first out. Maidu intentionally walked the next batter before walking the next hitter on five pitches. With the bases loaded, Alpine scored on a fielder's choice groundout to Escobar to take a 4-3 lead. Lucas Jacob struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh inning. Escobar, who started the inning on second, moved to third on a wild pitch, but Cruz and Luke Wittig both struck out looking to end the game. It was a disappointing loss for Maidu. "After the game we told them to watch the other team celebrate and to come back to the yard tomorrow with an offensive mindset at the plate, especially with two strikes," Bovolick said. "Dig in and toe up to the plate. "We have the team to win three in a row for sure. Our guys have been in this fire before the last two years and came up on top. "You have to beat good teams, and we simply didn't play well enough to deserve to win tonight."