De La Salle earns gritty win over St. Mary’s-Stockton to advance to NorCal D1 final

CONCORD — There was no shortage of competitive moments during Thursday’s NorCal Division I semifinal game between De La Salle and St. Mary’s-Stockton. 

There were intense moments, and at some points, even heated ones. But in a game that featured two of the most storied baseball programs in Northern California, De La Salle found a way to come out on top. 

De La Salle, the bracket’s top seed, defeated No. 4 St. Mary’s-Stockton 3-0 at home to advance to the NorCal finals. The Spartans will play No. 3 Serra, which defeated Los Gatos in its semifinal game, on Saturday at home. 

Stanford-bound pitcher Graham Schlicht pitched a complete-game shutout and struck out nine in the process. Cal Poly commit Antonio Castro went 2 for 3 and knocked in two runs in the win. 

“It was definitely getting chippy. We knew each other. We played each other at the beginning of the season, and they got the best of us,” Castro said. “But we just wanted it more this game, and when you want it more, all the other things like the chippiness in the stands and the chippiness on the field doesn’t matter.

The Spartans are looking for redemption after falling to Granada in last year’s North Coast Section Division I championship as well as the NorCal Division I semifinals. De La Salle captured this year’s NCS Division I title last weekend and are looking to hoist its third NorCal title in four years. 

“Not winning last year was one of the worst feelings,” Castro said. “We got our NCS back, but we’re right there for a NorCal, so I want to bring this one home.”

While the runs were few and far between, De La Salle made the most of its opportunities when it counted. 

Castro got the Spartans on the board when he knocked in senior Ethan Sullivan from third base on an infield single in the first inning. 

De La Salle didn’t put another run on the board until the bottom of the fifth and it was Castro who came up clutch again. With two outs and runners on first and second, Castro hit a line drive double to center field that scored Sam Lakey. 

Meanwhile, Schlicht and De La Salle’s rangy defense kept the high-powered St. Mary’s offense at bay. 

The first four batters of St. Mary’s lineup went a combined 1 for 10 and reached base just twice. 

St. Mary’s best chance to score came in the top of the fifth when the Rams put runners on first and third with no outs to open the inning. De La Salle found a way to retire St. Mary’s next two batters, but found itself in a bases-loaded jam later in the inning. 

Schlicht got the Spartans out of the inning when he struck out St. Mary’s final batter to get the Spartans out of the inning without giving up a run. 

“I think our entire infield was great,” Schlicht said. “For me, I was trying to turn some balls and give them a chance at double plays.” 

De La Salle scored its final run in the sixth inning after Niko Baumgartner scored from third on a wild pitch. Schlicht then retired the side in the bottom of the seventh to push De La Salle into the NorCal finals. 

The Spartans showed composure throughout all seven innings of Thursday’s game. The game had its fair share of gamesmanship and heated moments, but De La Salle wasn’t thrown off. 

“They played hard and they played the way they played, but we’re different and that’s baseball,” De La Salle coach David Jeans said. “You can’t fall for that trap and you gotta play your game.”

De La Salle needs just one more win to reach the NorCal mountain top. The Spartans played Serra at the Scott Boras Classic in April and came out with a 5-2 win behind a four-run seventh inning. 

“Serra swings the bat really well. They have speed and they steal bases like no other,” Jeans said. “The coach over there is doing a great job with those guys and they’re senior heavy. The game plan is I don’t know. I’m gonna enjoy this one tonight and I’ll make plans tomorrow morning.”