Vedo hits, pitches 'Skins to big win

Aside from a brief hiccup in the third inning, Colusa High School’s Matt Vedo played the best game of his high school career in leading the Redskins to a first-round 18-6 win over Live Oak on Thursday.

Vedo was 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of doubles and a home run. On the mound, he pitched four scoreless, hitless innings and finished the game with nine strikeouts.

The sixth frame was a nightmare, however, and it momentarily gave the Lions the lead, 6-5. The Lions scored six runs on three hits and took advantage of two Redskin errors, two hit batsmen and a wild pitch. Only three of the runs were earned.

In the end, however, the one bad inning was forgotten thanks to Vedo’s efforts at the plate. The Redskin senior played no favorites in the outfield.
He hit a monster shot that went over the right fielder’s head and hit the fence in the first inning for an RBI double. In the second inning, he hit one to the fence in left field to drive in two runs.

Vedo concluded the game by hitting a solo home run to the deepest part of the park in centerfield, sparking an 11-run rally in the fourth.

The win gives Colusa a 20-6 overall record. Colusa hosted Durham on Tuesday in a second-round game. If the Redskins won, they will host either Pierce or Hamilton on Saturday, most likely at 1 p.m. at the high school.

Following Vedo’s homer, the Redskins sent 13 more players to the plate. Raul Mojica singled, Cody Bailey bunted his way aboard and Brandon Mitchell walked.

Following a flyball out, Hayden Meyers walked to force in a run. Nico Valencia then singled in two runs while a walk to Hernandez loaded the bases for Brandon Rader.

The senior Redskin emptied the bases with a triple to put Colusa ahead 12-6. Vedo was then hit by a pitch and Mojica walked to load the bases for Bailey, who grounded back to the mound for a force out at home plate.

Mitchell singled to drive in two more runs. Colusa scored the final two runs of the inning when Bailey and Mitchell both came home on wild pitches.

The Redskins opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning on an RBI double by Vedo and an RBI single by Mojica.

In the second, Spencer Hackney singled and scored on a Hernandez sacrifice fly. Meyers was hit by a pitch and Valencia reached base on a bunt to set up Vedo’s two-run double.

In the third, Bailey singled and scored on Hackney’s basehit. Mitchell reached base on a bunt single and scored on a fielder’s choice.

Valencia, Rader, Mojica, Bailey, Mitchell and Hackney all had two hits while Vedo had three. Vedo gave up six runs on three hits with nine strikeouts and just two walks.

For the season, Vedo has a 10-2 record with 100 strikeouts and just 25 walks in 72 innings.