Panthers Win Rubber Match, End FRC Season

QUINCY--What started out so very well on Saturday afternoon didn't end up with a happy ending.

Feather River jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of play and led by the same score through five, but unfortunetely that's not how it ended for the Golden Eagles. Sacramento City College scored 13 runs over the last four innings of play to defeat Feather River 13-3 and advance to the NorCal Regional Finals next weekend.

FRC's championship season ends at 35-10. Sacramento City will advance with a 27-18 record.

Playing in front of 369 fans at the Eagles Nest and coming off a win over the Panthers on Friday, the home team came out swinging with a big first inning. Anthony Cepeda singled, Jared Stevenson walked and Shane Danley brought in the first run of the game with a single. Zane Denton followed with a two-run base knock to make it 3-0.

Meanwhile, Kyle Giovannoni was pitching a gem. He allowed just one hit through the first five innings of play and didn't allow a runner past second base. 

But things came undone a little bit in the sixth for Feather River. Sac City began the inning with a double, a walk and a single to chase Giovannoni from the game. By the time the inning was over, the game was tied at 3-3. 

Offensively, the Golden Eagles wouldn't score again after the first, although they loaded the bases in the third. But after finally getting on the board themselves, the Panthers then went on a bender with a run in the seventh, seven in the eighth and two more in the ninth. 

Danley and Denton led Feather River on offense with two hits each. 

FRC's season ends with a Golden Valley Conference crown and a first round playoff series win over Monterey Peninsula. Their 35 wins equals the highest win total since 2019 when head coach Terry Baumgartner's team went 35-8. The 35 wins is also the second highest total in program history.