YC opens Placer series with loss: Honkers head back to James Field tonight to tackle Hillmen

For the second straight week, the Yuba City High baseball team was beaten to open a Foothill Valley League series when Placer, in a delayed start to the week due to the week’s rain, came into Winship Field and stole game one, 2-1, over YC (10-11, 8-5 FVL) Thursday night.

The loss dropped YC to two back of Placer (17-5, 10-3) for second place in the FVL, and a half-game up on Twelve Bridges (16-8, 8-6) for third. YC holds the head-to-head tiebreaker on Twelve Bridges, winning two of three from the Raging Rhinos.

Thursday came down to a single tally difference, with Placer grabbing an early 2-0 lead and holding off a late YC run, giving starter Aden Howard the loss after three innings of two-run ball on three hits and three strikeouts. YC threw Julian Garcia and Kyler Oberlin in relief to likely save guys like Cesar Guizar and Brody Miller for later in the series. The two teams met again late Friday night in Auburn at James Field, and will end the set tonight (Saturday) at 7 p.m. at James Field in Auburn.

Miller said previously that YC flips the switch when the lights come on, and the Honkers will need at least one of the next two to keep pace with Placer for the second spot.

At last check this week in the Sac-Joaquin Division III rankings poll, YC is No. 5, which means should it fall out of the top-3 in league at the end of next week following the Nevada Union series, it is likely still in the postseason with an at-large berth. Any team not in the top-3 in any six-team league that finishes top-15 in the MaxPreps weekly rankings will earn an at-large berth into the SJS playoffs that open with play-in games on May 5, according to the SJS.

Max Guth finished with a team-high three hits in Thursday’s loss to Placer.

Rest of the mid-valley

– Sutter (18-4) and Wheatland end the week No. 3- and 4, respectively, in SJS D-V. Sutter was back in action late Friday following a couple rainouts and is set to open a three-game set with Destiny Christian Academy Monday on the road in a matchup that likely will determine second place in the Golden Empire League.

– Wheatland (17-6, 7-2) is a game out of the Pioneer Valley lead entering a two-game set with PVL leader Lincoln starting Tuesday in Placer County. On Thursday is the Pirates’ final regular season home game against the Fighting Zebras starting at 4 p.m.

Wheatland won its opener against Colfax, 4-1, Thursday as Brodee Malecha had three hits and a couple RBI in the win.