BASEBALL: Terra Nova Loses, Faces Must-Win Finale

The Terra Nova High baseball team watched as visiting El Camino celebrated clinching the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division title with a 13-0 victory on Wednesday.

Now the Tigers (14-10-1, 7-6 PAL Bay) are in a must-win situation entering Friday’s regular-season finale at El Camino.

Terra Nova entered Wednesday in a three-way tie for second place with Carlmont and Burlingame, seemingly well within range of securing one of the PAL Bay’s four automatic berths in the Central Coast Section playoffs. But after their loss to El Camino, coupled with victories by Carlmont (17-8, 8-5), Burlingame (15-11, 8-5) and Hillsdale (16-9, 7-6), the Tigers now sit in a fourth-place tie with Hillsdale. Moreover, in the event of a two-way tie with Hillsdale, Terra Nova would lose the tiebreaker because of its inferior head-to-head record with the Knights.

So Terra Nova needs a win and a Hillsdale loss on Friday to avoid relying on an at-large playoff selection. Meanwhile, El Camino (14-10-1, 10-3), still has something to play for.

“There is still a race for seeding purposes (in the Central Coast Section playoffs),” Colts coach Carlos Roman said. “We owe it to the rest of the league to play hard to win.

“(El Camino winning) means a lot to somebody.”

On Wednesday, El Camino’s Emiliano Rios, a JV call-up last week, blasted a grand slam in the Colts’ 10-run fifth inning and finished 2-for-2.

Terra Nova’s batters were shut down by Justin Eclavea (7-2), who scattered five hits over 103 pitches in a complete-game effort.

Heading into Friday’s finale, Terra Nova will need big support from its top two hitters, Justin Gubser and Ray Marshall. Gubser and Marshall entered Wednesday with 18 and 21 RBIs respectively.

El Camino’s probable Friday starter, Steve Knudson, has gotten better as the season has worn on and had his best outing last Friday at Aragon. He threw a complete game and allowed only one run on four hits.