Falcons’ Magical Season Ends Abruptly on Walk-off Sac Fly
The 13th seeded Folsom Lake College baseball team, playing in their very first season and featuring a roster full of freshman with big hearts, never-quit determination, and just enough attitude to think they can win, almost pulled off the biggest upset of the CCCAA Regional Playoffs on Saturday. In the end, the 3rd seeded Golden Eagles of Feather River College scored the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning of the third (and deciding) game of the series on Saturday evening in Quincy and will move on to the second round. The three-game series was packed with drama as every game was either decided in the final at-bat or ended with the potential tying/winning runs on base.
The Falcons got off to a good start in the deciding game when Majeski, who had singled with two outs, scored on Kaim's double in the first inning. They scored another run one inning later on Heisinger's bases-loaded walk, but left the bases loaded - something they would later regret– on a fly ball for the third out. Meanwhile, Falcon starting pitcher Ryan Pearman was rolling along, allowing just one run on five hits through the first five innings. With the Falcons leading 3-1 in the sixth, a misplayed fly ball turned into a leadoff triple for Feather River. A hit, an error, and a sacrifice fly later, the Eagles had a 4-3 lead. It would stay that way until the ninth, when – with their backs to the wall - the Falcons' Mychal Lee led off with a single. After a sacrifice bunt, Heisinger doubled him home with the tying run. Now the Falcons had the winning run standing at second with just one out. But Majeski's fly ball hung up just long enough for the centerfielder to catch it for out number two, and Kaim went down on strikes to end the inning. In the bottom half of the ninth, the Eagles' leadoff batter worked a critical walk and promptly stole second. A sacrifice bunt resulted in the possible winning run now on third with no outs. After an intentional walk, a sinking soft line drive to shallow right was snared on a dive by Kaim, who quickly came up throwing to home. The runner on third, shocked that the throw was coming in so quickly, hit the brakes to retreat. Then the unthinkable happened: the throw, which was right on line, hit the edge of the grass between the infield and the baseline and skipped under the catcher's glove, allowing the winning run to score and ending the Falcons' season. What looked like a sure double play turned into disbelief.
Regardless of the disappointing outcome, a heartfelt congratulations and thanks go out to this group of young men who played beyond anyone's expectations (except their own), and to the tireless coaching staff that made us all into believers: Assistant coaches Jon Ray and Scott Quesada and Head Coach Rich Gregory.