Marin Catholic Surges To Baseball Crown

It wasn't on the big stage that Marin Catholic gave it's best performance, but, then again, there's no place like home.

Marin Catholic surged past McKinleyville 10-1 Monday at home to capture the North Coast Section Division IV baseball crown.

"In front of the fans, in front of the parents at their own school … It would have been nice to play at a D-I school, but it's nicer to play at home," Marin Catholic coach Tim Grayson said. 

The Wildcats (23-4) survived a pair of close games during the path to the NCS championship, but they made sure there was little drama Monday.

Tyler Scott drove a stake into McKinleyville's heart with a two-run homer that gave the Wildcats a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning. 

"All these 2-1, 3-1 games were getting me down," Grayson said. "I said we've got to play smash-mouth baseball, and if we don't I'm going to start bunting. I don't think the guys wanted to bunt."

Marin Catholic's barrage didn't stop. The Wildcats scored four runs in the seventh inning to shut the door. Scott scored three times and had two stolen bases, while Jared Goff was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Gunnar Sandberg added two more RBIs.

"It took hard work from Day 1. … We hit it in stride and kept rolling. We never stopped," said Sandberg, who returned this season after a line drive to the head nearly cost him his life last season. 

"It took a while to get out here. When I was here I was just so happy. I think my whole team got my back."

The top-seeded Wildcats were missing two of their best players — No. 3 hitter Conor Murphy and ace pitcher Al Geraldi — but the team just took that as extra motivation, according to Grayson.

Starting pitcher Robb Woodcock turned in perhaps his best effort of the season against the No. 6 Panthers (18-9), with seven strikeouts and just two hits in six innings.

After Ryan Farber finished off a perfect seventh inning on the mound, the Wildcats stormed the field, then showered each other with sparkling apple cider before lining up to accept their trophy.

"From Day 1 these guys worked their butts off. They endured my tough disciplinarian coaching," Grayson said. "It took them a month or two, but they finally bought into it and here we are."