Aptos pitcher Jordan Talbot threw a complete-game three-hitter as the Mariners ended the dream season of Mt. Pleasant, 7-5, in a CCS Division II semfinal Thursday afternoon at San Jose Municipal Stadium. With the win, second-seeded Aptos (20-8) advances to the final to take on fifth-seeded St. Ignatius (22-8-1), which hammered Leland, 10-0, in the other semifinal Thursday night. The championship game will be held Saturday at 1 pm at San Jose Muni.
The Mariners threatened to turn the game into a blowout early, as they erupted for four runs in the first inning to take a 4-0 lead. The big hit was provided by Nicco Baily, who hit a two-run single with the bases loaded.
But Mt. Pleasant (25-3), which won all 21 of its league games and hadn't allowed a run in the CCS playoffs through the first two rounds, came roaring back with a four-run inning of its own in the top of the third. Artuedo Ahedo came up with the big blow, a bases-loaded triple - Mt. Pleasant's first hit of the game - that brought the Cardinals to within 4-3. Ahedo then scored on a wild pitch to tie the score at 4-4.
The Cardinals took their only lead with a run in the fourth on a steal of home by senior David Santellano to make it 5-4. But the Mariners answered right back with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the fourth on a pair of sacrifice flies - by Orey Wafford and Michael Heinevetter - to go back ahead, 6-5. Aptos pushed across an additional run in the sixth when John Evans scored after on pair of wild pitches.
