Hillmen sweep Honkers, eyes share of FVL title

The Placer High School baseball team is still alive in its quest for the Foothill Valley League championship. The Hillmen cleared a major hurdle last week, sweeping defending Division III NorCal-champion Yuba City in three games, each by one run. Placer entered Friday needing to win out to have any chance at splitting the league title, but it looked bleak through five innings. With their backs against the wall, the Hillmen broke through with a four-run sixth inning to rally past the Honkers 5-4 at James Field, clinching the series before completing the sweep Saturday. Trailing 4-1 entering the bottom of the sixth, the Hillmen finally cashed in after threatening in multiple innings. Placer stranded runners in the fourth and fifth and loaded the bases again in the sixth before putting together the decisive rally. An error cut the deficit to 4-2. With the bases loaded, Gavin Otis ripped a two-RBI single up the middle to tie the score. Later in the inning, Robby Silski hit a hard ground ball that was mishandled, allowing the go-ahead run to score and giving Placer its first lead since the second inning. "It's kind of a never-quit attitude," Placer coach Dave Thompson said. "They never think they're out of it. They always think they've got a chance." Yuba City controlled much of the game behind consistent offense, finishing with 10 hits. The Honkers tied the score in the third, then took the lead in the fifth. Cesar Guizar drove in a run on a groundout, and Kyler Oberlin followed with an RBI single to make it 3-1. Yuba City added another run in the sixth on an RBI single from Brody Miller to extend the lead to 4-1. Miller led the Honkers at the plate, going 3 for 4, scoring twice and recording his 100th career hit. Miller's aggressive baserunning led to two Yuba City runs, as he scored on a wild pitch and worked his way into scoring position. Max Guth added two hits and created pressure on the bases. Placer, meanwhile, managed six hits but made them count late. Tanner Baldwin and Silski each had two hits, while Otis drove in a team-high two runs and figured into the game on both sides. The junior UC Davis commit started on the mound and pitched five innings, allowing three runs while working around traffic. He later delivered the biggest swing of the game despite not feeling fully in command earlier. "He got a little flustered," Thompson said. "But there's nobody else you'd rather have at the plate. He's just a competitor." Otis said he relied on his preparation in the moment, noting he was frustrated the Honkers had been pitching around him for most of the series but knew he would get his chance. "I just trusted the process," Otis said. "Trusted my skills." Dolen Gendron earned the win in relief, allowing one run over an inning, and Colin Morris closed in the seventh. Yuba City put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position in the final frame, but Morris recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat. Yuba City starter Cesar Guizar was effective through five innings, allowing one unearned run while striking out four. The Honkers' defense, however, committed three errors, two of which came in the sixth inning, that proved costly. Placer (19-5, 12-3 FVL) will wrap up the regular season with a three-game series against River Valley. If the Hillmen sweep the Falcons, they will split the league title with Roseville (19-4, 15-3), but a loss would secure second place. With the postseason approaching, the Hillmen remain focused on the top of the league standings and have their sights set on a top-three seed in a loaded Division IV field. "We're playing for a league championship right now," Thompson said. "We've got to win out."