Busalacchi's walk-off blast lifts DO past Granite Bay

The Del Oro High School baseball team kept its hot streak rolling in dramatic fashion Saturday afternoon in Loomis, as junior Nico Busalacchi crushed a walk-off solo home run to right field in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Golden Eagles a 4-3 win over Granite Bay and securing a series victory in Sierra Foothill League play. Following an 8-5 win over Oak Ridge on Monday, Del Oro (12-8-1 overall, 8-5 SFL) has won six in a row and is third in the SFL, a half-game behind Granite Bay and two games behind Jesuit. The Golden Eagles and Marauders are scheduled to play twice this week. Del Oro struck in the first inning when Rusty Ducharme lined a single to center to score Crosby Pilgrim. Granite Bay answered in the third, stringing together back-to-back RBI singles by Isaac Schroeder and Ryan Miller for a 2-1 advantage. The Golden Eagles tied the score in the fifth, as Ashton Greenhalgh swiped second before Will Stark delivered a tying RBI single to center. Del Oro took a 3-2 lead in the sixth on Ty Sauvé's sacrifice fly to center, scoring Pilgrim. Granite Bay capitalized on a balk to tie the score 3-3 and set the stage for the late-inning drama. Busalacchi started on the mound and allowed two runs (one earned) over 3 2/3 innings while driving in the game-winner at the plate. Cole Bernhard pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings, and Masen Belding earned the win in relief. Six Golden Eagles recorded hits. For Granite Bay, Miller and Schroeder each had two hits and an RBI.