SALINAS VALLEY — The last week of the regular season comes to an end for the King City Mustangs and North Salinas Vikings baseball teams.
A Cypress Divisional title will be at stake as the Mustangs play two games with Gonzales and North Salinas plays two games with Watsonville.
“If we win and North Salinas loses one game to Watsonville, then we are the division champs,” said Mustang head coach Gabriel Soto. “The winner will get to host a playoff game next Friday. We have to win out and they have to win out. If we do, then the tie breaker will come to the CCS (Central Coast Section) point system. If that is still all tied up, then it will come down to a coin toss and the winner will host the third-place Mission team on Friday, May 15.”
Last week the Mustangs played three games, opening the week with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Watsonville behind an excellent performance by Jacoby Chavez, who collected three hits and helped spark an aggressive offensive approach on the bases. Joaquin Sabala earned the win with six strong innings, while Pablo Aguirre closed out the game for the save.
In the second game of the week, King City (9-1 Cypress, 12-6 overall) downed the Wildcatz by an 11-1 score. The Mustangs broke the game open with a six-run third inning. Joey Pina led the way on the mound and at the plate, throwing six strong innings while driving in three runs.
Jacoby Chavez stayed hot offensively with two hits and had two runs batted in with a double. Axel Chavez and Dylan Conaster added key hits as the Mustangs continued to pressure defenses with aggressive baserunning and disciplined at-bats.
In a non-league game, the Mustangs shut out Everett Alvarez, 10-0. Ernesto Aguirre earned the win with five scoreless innings, while freshman RJ Ayon drove in two runs to lead the offense. Eddie Rangel, Jacoby Chavez, Axel Chavez and Pablo Aguirre each added hits as the Mustangs controlled the game from the second inning.
“Throughout the week, we continued to have strong pitching performances from Sabala, Pina and Aguirre, while players like Jacoby Chavez, RJ Ayon, Joey Pina, Dylan Conaster and Axel Chavez consistently contributed offensively,” Soto said.
King City’s aggressive style on the bases and consistent pitching have helped fuel their recent success as they continue to battle for the division crown.
