BASEBALL: Grotz Gem Not Enough in Early CCS Exit

Burlingame High ace Zac Grotz was superb in his team’s Central Coast Section Division II playoff opener on Thursday afternoon.

Los Altos’ Mitch Kehlet was even better.

In a fantastic pitchers’ duel, Kehlet outdueled Grotz to send defending champion Burlingame home with a 2-1 defeat in eight innings in Los Altos.

Grotz (7-2) struck out a career-high 12 batters, including Luke Wiechec three times, but the Eagles designated hitter finally broke through in a big way with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Wiechec delivered a single to rightfield that drove in Mat Snider Jr., who reached on a one-out single and stole second, to set off Los Altos’ celebration.

“I knew going into the last at-bat that I was getting an inside fastball,” Wiechec said. "He came in, and I turned on it."

One year after reaching the pinnacle by winning its second section title, No. 13 seed Burlingame now has to deal with the harsh reality of an early ouster.

“It's the total opposite,” Panthers first baseman Chris Blanton said. “It's hard to take in.”

Like Grotz, Kehlet went the distance for the fourth-seeded Eagles, limiting Burlingame (16-12) to three hits while striking out seven and walking one. The Los Altos right-hander allowed a solo home run to Nik Gutierrez to lead off the fourth, a shot to left that put the hosts in a 1-0 hole, but he otherwise blanketed the Panther offense.

Kehlet did some damage with his bat, too. He doubled to start the bottom of the fifth, and Joseph Chedid followed by driving in courtesy runner Dimitri Trembois with a single to center to knot the game.

Grotz, who had won seven straight decisions since losing on April 4, allowed five hits and walked two. The right-hander, who has garnered the attention of college programs and professional scouts, entered with a 1.16 ERA in 54 1/3 innings only to suffer a tough-luck defeat.

“Awesome. Awesome. Gamer. Battled,” Burlingame coach Shawn Scott said of Grotz’s effort. “Everything I expected from him on the mound and more.”

Asked to assess his first year manning the Panther dugout, Scott seemed to suggest it was fitting that his team’s final game was a taut battle in which runs were at a premium.

“Of course we would’ve liked more offensive production, especially with the pitching staff,” he said. “But we didn’t get it, so we move on.”

Burlingame third baseman Saamy Phan singled twice—the only player to record multiple hits in the game.

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Los Altos 2, Burlingame 1 (eight innings)

B – 000 100 00 – 1 3 2

LA – 000 010 01 – 2 5 1

WP: Kehlet. LP: Grotz.

HR: Gutierrez (B). 2B: Kehlet (LA). 2 hits: Phan (B).

Record: Burlingame 16-12. Los Altos 20-11.