A crucial league game hosted by the Quincy Trojans April 30 set the stage for the Chester Junior-Senior High School Volcanoes baseball team to have a chance at the league championship, reported Vols assistant coach George Wellman. The Vols entered the game with a 5-1 league record, trailing the Redding Christian Lions by one game in league standings. The Vols and Trojans battled it out over seven innings with the Vols taking the win 7-5.
Head coach Mike Klimek addressed his team: “Congratulations … for your courage and excellent play to win two late-season league games against Portola and Quincy, earning the right to challenge for the league title. You earned this; I’m proud of you!”
Jacob Dowling pitched an outstanding seven-inning complete game, facing 29 batters, giving up five runs and three earned runs, striking out seven, walking one and having one hit by pitch on 113 pitches. Dowling improved his team-leading record to 5-1. Dowling lowered his ERA to 3.57 with this effort, which also leads the team. Wellman reported that Dowling has also been a workhorse for the Vols with a season-to-date pitch count of 621, nearly 100 pitches more than the next hurler in the Vols lineup. When not pitching Dowling anchors first base and leads the team in putouts with 60. Offensively Dowling is batting .381 with 31 RBIs.
Neither team scored in the first two innings. The Vols hit and ran well in the top of the third, scoring five runs. The Trojans broke through with one run in the bottom of the third inning. The score stood 5-1 in the Vols’ favor after three innings. The Vols went scoreless in the top of the fourth. In bottom of the inning the Trojans sent eight batters to plate and scored four runs. The score now knotted at 5-5 after four innings.
Both teams were held scoreless in the fifth. In the top of the sixth the Vols scratched out two runs on a lead-off double by Grady Klimek (brother of Lucas Klimek), singles by Kooper Clark and Jax Holland, and a fielder’s choice RBI by Lucas Klimek. Now leading 7-5, the Vols needed pitching and stellar defensive to close out the win.
The Trojans failed to score in the bottom of the sixth or seventh innings on clutch pitching by Jacob Dowling. Dowling faced four batters in the bottom of the sixth, striking out three to retire the side. In the bottom of the seventh Dowling proceeded to shut down the Trojans, facing three batters, striking out one and inducing two ground ball outs. Final score: Volcanoes 7, Trojans 5.
Offensively the Vols were lead by Jax Holland going 2-3 with a double and one RBI. Caiden Clark and Lucas Klimek had two hits each, Clark with two RBIs, Klimek with one RBI. Clark and Klimek each scored a run. Chase Clark and Callan Wiseman each contributed a hit and an RBI, Clark scoring one run. Grady Klimek scored two runs on a double and a walk. Kooper Clark scored twice on a single and walk.
Defensively the Vols were steady but not errorless, committing five errors. Two double plays helped to offset the miscues and minimize Trojan scoring. The first double play was a nontypical 1-6-3: Jacob Dowling to Jax Holland to Caiden Clark. The second DP was the classic 6-4-3 sequence: Jax Holland to Chase Clark to Caiden Clark. With this win the Volcanoes moved to 6-1 in league play and 14-5 overall.
For more details about the team, including game and season statistics, visit https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/chester/chester-volcanoes/baseball/.
Information provided by Chester Junior-Senior High School baseball team