LIVERMORE — Parker Warner didn’t have his best game on the mound.
The Stanford-bound pitcher hit three batters, allowed four hits and gave up two runs in 4 1-3 innings. But the shaky start didn’t stop Warner from being the hero of the game when it mattered most.
It was Warner’s walk-off bunt in the bottom of the seventh that gave Granada a 5-4 win over De La Salle and extended the Matadors’ winning streak to seven to start the season.
“I’m really big on not letting some of the little mistakes I have on the mound carry over to the next play,” Warner said. “I just had to flush it to stay focused on the plate and get the job done.”
Granada first baseman Riley Winchell batted 1 for 3 with three RBIs and hit his first home run of the season. Warner totaled two hits in three attempts.
After two scoreless innings, De La Salle found its groove in the third. Outfielder Carlo Garcia hit a solo home run to center field to break the stalemate.
After Warner hit his third batter of the inning, De La Salle had the bases loaded with a chance to blow the game open. But Granada threw out back-to-back batters at first base, to get out of the inning with minimal damage.
In the bottom third, Winchell shifted the momentum with a two-run homer to right field that brought home Warner and gave Granada a 2-1 advantage.
“I’ve never seen Riley hit a bomb to right field,” said Granada head coach Corrigan Willis. “I was super happy about that.”
The Matadors took a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning, but that didn’t last long. The Spartans found a way to tie the game in the sixth when pinch-hitter Gavin Zikria hit a sacrifice fly that brought in outfielder Ethan Sullivan to tie the game at four.
Granada’s defense held strong at the top of the seventh, setting up a chance to win the game in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff hitter Peyton Richards hit a double to start the inning and De La Salle intentionally walked Granada’s next batter, Tommy Brown, in hopes of securing a double play.
That’s when Warner stepped to the plate with no outs, hoping to advance his two teammates on base. Willis had told Warner to bunt and that’s exactly what the senior did.
As the ball took an awkward bounce toward the pitcher’s mound, Warner was in a full-on sprint. De La Salle couldn’t field the ball cleanly and the throw to first base went high. Richards’ eyes grew big as he saw the play unfold and he quickly crossed home plate from second base.
Ball game.
The win was just the third time Granada has beaten De La Salle in the last seven seasons. Willis said playing competitive games like Friday’s is only going to help Granada in the long run.
“You want your guys to have high-pressure, high-leverage situations because you can’t recreate that in practice,” Willis said. “We want that early on in the year so that when their feet are held to the fire in a tough game, they know they’ve been there before.”
The Spartans came into the game short handed without Alec Blair and Tyler Spangler — two key bats in the lineup.
Blair, a two-sport star in baseball and basketball, hurt his right leg in De La Salle’s first round CIF Open playoff basketball game against Modesto Christian two weeks ago. Blair was seen wearing a knee brace during Friday’s baseball game.
De La Salle coach David Jeans said both will be evaluated next week with a hope to return soon after.
“Alec is going to see the doctor on Monday,” Jeans said. “Hopefully, he’ll start to do stuff maybe seven to 10 days after the visit. Spangler was out with a hamstring injury. We’re going to be careful with those guys. Those guys have futures and to win a high school baseball game early on in their careers isn’t a smart choice.”
The Matadors’ seven-game winning streak to start the season is the team’s best start since 2014 when Granada started the year 8-0. Granada will play three games next week, starting with Wednesday’s matchup with Dougherty Valley.
