Lincoln reloads after title run, beats Pleasant Valley

Coming off its first Sac-Joaquin Section championship since 2018, the Lincoln Fighting Zebras have no plans of relinquishing their title this season. The Zebras graduated eight seniors after winning the Division V section title and look to be reloaded. Lincoln's reloaded roster proved itself against a formidable opponent Tuesday, downing Northern Section power Pleasant Valley of Chico 11-6. The Vikings jumped ahead with three runs in the top of the first inning, but Lincoln immediately answered with a six-run first to take control. For Lincoln coach Mike Allen, the response from his team was a strong sign of what he expects this season. "We had some ups and downs over the weekend at the Pleasant Valley tournament, and this is a really good team that we just played," Allen said. "They've got great coaches and their pitchers were executing pitches and throwing strikes, mixing curveballs in counts you wouldn't expect. But our guys just stayed in there and kept hitting. We were really proud of the offense today." With every crooked number the Vikings put on the scoreboard, the Zebras responded with a bigger one. Pleasant Valley inched closer with two runs in the third, but Lincoln scored three in retaliation. The Zebras were held to five hits but capitalized on five Pleasant Valley errors. Garrett Ernst led the Zebras with a triple and two RBIs while Tyler Silva, Gavin Gnech and Declan Gonge also drove in runs. Daxton Sampang, Brock Galer and Eli Duff each scored twice. Silva also made an impact on the mound and worked through early trouble after allowing three runs in the first. "Tyler made some great adjustments really quickly," Allen said. "We were leaving the ball up a little bit early, but he settled down and did a great job for us." Lincoln's bullpen helped secure the win. Billy Bass allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings, and Jaxon Storm closed the game with two scoreless innings as the Zebras retired six of the final seven Pleasant Valley hitters. Bass has emerged as one of Lincoln's key leaders after stepping up and closing the semifinal series against Woodland to send the Zebras to the section championship last season. Allen said he has high expectations for Bass and his dedication and training all offseason has shown. "Billy is one of the hardest workers out here," Allen said. "He comes in early and already has his bullpen work and preparation done before we even start practice. He's taken on a leadership role and has a group of guys with him that want to go get after it." Even with the graduation losses from last season's championship team, Allen said the program's expectations have not changed. "There's no doubt we're trying to go back and do it again," Allen said. "The mix is different in some spots, but the goal is still the same." Part of that new mix includes a young group stepping into major roles, including freshman shortstop Sampang, who is batting a team-high .467 through five games. "It's not often you see a freshman starting there, but he's a good ballplayer," Allen said. "You see how he charges the ball and handles everything hit to him. Right now, he's showing why he's earned that spot." Lincoln's ability to respond to adversity is something Allen said his team emphasizes, and it was shown Tuesday. "We always try to answer back," Allen said. "When they put up three in the first, the message was simple: Let's go get it back. And the guys responded." The Zebras (3-1-1) are idle until they open Pioneer Valley League play at Colfax on March 18.