Piedmont High School’s baseball team got all the runs John Olsen would need in the first as Olsen threw a seven-hit shutout to lead the Highlanders to a 5-0 win over visiting Hercules in a North Coast Section Division playoff game on May 18.
The win advanced second-seeded Piedmont (16-8) to the semifinals against No. 3 McKinleyville. That game is scheduled for 5 p.m. on May 22 at Humphries Field.
Markos Lagios led off the bottom of the first with a single. One out later, Lagios moved up to third on a passed ball and then a wild pitch. Will Parker then singled him home with the game’s first run. Shafer Dando later doubled in two.
Olsen spread seven hits around, striking out two and walking one. He got three double plays during the game, including in the second inning when the Titans had runners at first and third with one out. Olsen induced Isaiah Thomas to ground to shortstop Peter Krumins, who went to second baseman Diego Delventhal to first baseman Jordan Vo.
In the third, Olsen got out of a first and second jam with one out without getting a double play. Instead, he struck out Elijah Thomas and got Cameron Solis to fly out to center.
Olsen had one more struggle at the end. With two out and nobody on, Lagios was called for catcher’s interference. Then, Jarren Pascua singled.
But Olsen had enough left to get Jason Kao to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the game.
The winner of the Piedmont-McKinleyville game will face the winner of the St. Mary’s (No. 1 seed)-Justin-Siena-Napa game on May 24 or 25.