Warriors pull into playoff position

Carpinteria baseball is now in prime position to seal a CIF playoff berth after winning two out of three games in the past week to move to 7-7 overall on the season. 

The Warriors played back-to-back games against Citrus Coast League rival Channel Islands on April 17 and 18, with both teams trading wins over the two days.

In the first game on April 17, Carpinteria sophomore Gabe Martinez took the mound for the Warriors, pitching a great game and giving up only one run. But that one run would be enough for Channel Islands to seal the win, as the Raiders held off a late-game rally to keep Carpinteria scoreless and take the victory, 1-0.

“Gabe pitched well enough to win and definitely gave us the opportunity,” said Carpinteria coach Pat Cooney. “Unfortunately, our offense was silent for most of the game.”

The next day, Channel Islands came to Carpinteria for a rematch at John Calderwood Field. In this game, the Raiders took an early 2-0 lead before Carpinteria roared back with three straight runs to take the lead.

The Warriors scored two runs in the third inning, then scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning when senior Talon Trumble and Martinez teamed up for a double steal from first and third bases. Channel Islands responded with a score in the top of the seventh, setting up a 3-3 tie heading into Carpinteria final at-bat.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Warriors provided some late-game heroics, starting with a lead-off double to left-center field from junior Aiden Alcaraz.

Alcaraz advanced to third base off a sacrifice bunt from Martinez, then scored the game-winning run when senior Judah Torres hammered a base hit past the Channel Islands infield.

Senior pitcher Shane Goodmanson earned the win for the Warriors with a complete game effort, giving up six hits and striking out six Channel Islands batters.

“The game was essentially a must-win in terms of keeping our playoff hopes alive,” coach Cooney said. “Goodmanson set the tone early and stayed ultra competitive throughout. He and catcher Oscar Velazquez are on the same page. It was our best team win to date and it couldn’t have come at a better time.”

On April 23, Carpinteria kept its playoff hopes alive by moving into third place in the Citrus Coast League with a 5-1 win at home over Malibu.

In this win, Carpinteria scored four runs in the first inning, then added the final run later in the game to seal the win over the Sharks.

Once again it was Goodmanson on the mound for Carpinteria, pitching in what was his final Citrus Coast League appearance. He earned his fourth win of the year, striking out five batters and giving up four hits.

“It was a big game for our group. It was great to see the players rise to the occasion,” coach Cooney said. “It validates our season a bit as we inched closer to qualifying for a playoff berth.”

Carpinteria is now 7-7 overall and 5-6 in the Citrus Coast League, and the Warriors will have a chance to seal a CIF playoff berth with a win against Malibu – or a Fillmore loss – this week.