The graduating seniors from the Starr's Mill and Northgate baseball teams have two more days to officially wear their school colors.
Northgate donned its visiting crimson jerseys at home in Game 2 and earned a doubleheader split by beating the Panthers 10-3 in the second game of a best-of-three Class AAAA championship series. The deciding game for the Region 5A rivals will be played at Northgate at 1 p.m. Monday.
Northgate pitcher Paul Rojas improved to 9-0 on the season with a complete-game four-hit victory in Game 2, mitigating a 3-2 loss in the opener Saturday.
"Paul threw one heck of a baseball game for us," said Northgate coach Greg Hamilton, whose team tied a school record for wins and improved to 31-5. "Paul's a senior, and he's been a big part of what's happening at Northgate this year."
Northgate second baseman Derek Hooper led off the second game by drilling the second pitch over the left-field wall.
The Vikings drew four walks off Panthers starting pitcher Ken Jackson in the first inning, and Chris Brewer and Drew Tolbert each scored as the Vikings took a 3-0 lead.
Rojas gave up walks to Starr's Mill's David Norman and Drew Johnson to start the second inning, with both base runners coming around to score (courtesy runner Nick Padlo for Norman) on hits by junior shortstop Myles Jaye and senior first baseman Michael Jeanes.
But Rojas, the Vikings left-hander, settled down after that and retired nine straight batters through the middle innings. He finished the game with seven strikeouts.
"We felt like we were playing a lot better [Saturday] than we were [earlier in the season]," said Starr's Mill coach Brent Moseley.
"Our pitching and our defense has been a lot better [lately], but that's what killed us in Game 2."
Hamilton said that the crimson jerseys had nothing to do with Northgate's win in Game 2. Yet, as for which jerseys they will wear Monday as host team of the championship game, he hesitated before saying: "They won't be white."
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