Credit was due all around following the Deer Valley Wolverines’ 6-4 first-round playoff victory over the visiting Granada Matadors. Credit head coach Dennis Luquet for keeping ace Josh Eagle available at all times, and credit the Wolverine lineup for pounding out six runs in the first four innings against Granada ace John Love. Credit was also due to Eagle, who allowed no hits in the first four innings, and then re-entered his spot on the mound with two outs in the top of the seventh to close out the victory for Deer Valley.

Officially, Eagle threw four and a third innings, striking out five and allowing no hits. But he played first base for the fifth and sixth innings and for the first two outs of the seventh before the Matadors staged a late rally, prompting Luquet to move Eagle back to the mound, shutting the door on Granada’s designs on a come-from-behind victory. After a three-run homer by Ryan Kirby narrowed the lead to two runs, and Ino Patron followed with a double, Eagle returned to the mound to record his fifth strikeout against Matador cleanup hitter Dan Carney.

The potency of Deer Valley’s offense allowed Eagle to be removed after the fourth inning. The Wolverines scored four times in the bottom of the first, surging ahead largely due to a two-run single from Josh Manci. Deer Valley picked up additional runs in the second and fourth, giving it a commanding 6-0 lead. That was when Eagle exited the game, preserving innings for Saturday’s showdown against top-seed Amador Valley.

The victory was Eagle’s 13th of the season, ranking him as the state leader, and gave Deer Valley its 20th victory of the season. The five strikeouts also gave Eagle 128 Ks in under 88 innings this season, against just 30 walks. But most importantly, it extended the Wolverines’ season, matching them up against another EBAL opponent, the Amador Valley Dons.

The Wolverines’ season ended at the hands of the Dons in a 3-2 extra-inning nail-biter. Joey Moroney’s double in the bottom of the eighth inning provided the game-winning run for the Dons. Despite outhitting the Dons 10-5, Deer Valley committed errors that helped to allow a third-inning unearned run off Eagle, who pitched from the second through the seventh innings.

The Wolverines led early before Amador Valley took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning on a bases-loaded hit batsman. Deer Valley tied things in the sixth on a squeeze bunt before Moroney’s heroics in the eighth lifted Amador Valley into the semifinals.

Deer Valley finished the season with an overall record of 20-5.