Big 8 in the Winner's Bracket

FRESNO - With no secrets between them, San Joaquin Delta College and Sacramento City College, both members of the Big 8 Conference, they squared off in the championship semifinal game of the CCCAA Baseball State Championships on Sunday afternoon. The Mustangs, champions of the conference, came away with a 9-5 win, which advances them to the championship round, which begins on Monday at John Euless Ballpark.

San Joaquin Delta (42-8) opened up a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning, but the Panthers (34-15) responded with four of their own in the bottom of the stanza. The Mustangs took the lead for good in the top of the seventh inning on a three-run home run by Jordan Vujovich, who greeted relief pitcher Daylon Mathews' first pitch for the round-tripper.

Starter Nick Avila (12-2) lasted 6 2/3 innings and allowed four runs before a trio of relief pitchers finished, with Raul Rizo earning this first save of the season by pitching the final two innings.

The Mustangs tacked on a single run in the eighth inning on a base hit from Dominic Pisano, which plated Trent North, who doubled. They put themselves in good shape to advance after two more runs crossed the plate in the ninth inning, one on a balk.

Sacramento City and Orange Coast faced each other in one of the semifinal games on Saturday, with the Panthers posting a 6-4 decision.

The winner will need to defeat San Joaquin Delta twice on Monday.