Sierra shocks No. 1 Santa Rosa in regional finals

The task was simple for the Sierra College baseball team at last weekend's California Community College Athletic Association Regional Finals against Santa Rosa: Win two games or the season is over. That was easier said than done. The Bear Cubs entered as the top-ranked team in the state at 43-1 and already swept Sierra in Big 8 Conference play in March. Santa Rosa won game one of the best-of-three series, forcing the Wolverines to have to win two straight against a team that had lost once all season. Sierra kept pace with Santa Rosa in game two, scoring seven runs in the first two innings and pulling away late for a 15-9 victory. In the winner-take-all game three on Sunday, the Wolverines rode a complete game by pitcher Anthony Martinez to a 3-1 triumph to win the series and reach the state championship. "This is a special group and some guys really stepped up," said Sierra coach Ryan Evangelho. "They continue to just surprise me. I know how good they are, but just the resiliency and ability to come back is incredible." Brady Ranallo was the catalyst for the Wolverines in game two, going 5 for 5 with nine RBIs. After falling behind 4-0 in the first inning, Sierra used two-run homers by Cody Ferrante and Ranallo to tie the score in the bottom of the first. Ranallo also hit an RBI single that tied the 7-7 in the second inning. Ranallo drove in two runs in the fourth inning and one in the sixth. His three-run homer in the seventh was the cherry on top of a dominant afternoon. Evangelho said Ranallo's resurgence is no surprise to him and noted he was one of the top hitters in the conference to start the season. "Brady's been unbelievable, especially in the playoffs. He was our hottest hitter leaving the preseason, and I think the whole Big 8 knew that he was hitting .400," said Evangelho. "We got a bunch of good coaches in the conference and they pitched him really tough in conference play and he went through his struggles." Following the offensive explosion in game two, defense lifted Sierra to victory in the finale. Martinez struck out five while holding the Bear Cubs to four hits. Evangelho said Martinez's gutsy performance was a huge X-factor, especially considering the Wolverines had to turn to the bullpen in the first inning of game two. "For him to come out and throw a complete game against the number one team in the state on their hostile field with fans yelling and barking at us was awesome to see," said Evangelho. "He was unbelievable. He just kept the ball down, kept filling up the zone through nine innings. He threw a complete game in 106 pitches, which was just what the doctor ordered." Jake Redding provided the offense with two hits, including a solo home run in the eighth inning. Sierra (33-14) advances to the 3C2A State Championship at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut beginning May 24. This is Sierra's second final four appearance in three years as it seeks its first state title since 2008. The Wolverines open the double-elimination tournament against Mt. San Antonio (42-6) on Saturday at noon.