A Clutch Seventh Inning
The Harbor High baseball team turned a tight contest into a walk‑off victory on Thursday, edging Sequoia of Redwood City 3‑2 in the Central Coast Section Division IV quarterfinals. The decisive moment arrived in the bottom of the seventh when Aiden Boles’ bunt single turned into a wild throw, allowing Raffo to sprint home with the winning run.
Raffo was the catalyst from both the plate and the mound. He doubled earlier in the game, drove in a run, and then delivered a complete‑game effort on the mound, surrendering just four hits, three walks and striking out six batters. His dual contribution epitomized the Pirates’ gritty approach as they rallied from a one‑run deficit.
The win propels Harbor into the semifinals, where they will host Piedmont Hills of San Jose. The CCS has yet to announce the exact date and time of that matchup, but excitement is already building among the team’s fans and players.
Other local programs also advanced in their respective divisions. Aptos, Santa Cruz High and St. Francis each secured victories, while the Pirates’ fellow league members, the Ravens, saw sophomore Jackson Tetley contribute two hits and two RBI in a sixth‑place finish for the Peninsula Athletic League’s Bay Division.
Harbor’s journey has not been without challenges. They slipped past Monterey 2‑1 in the quarterfinals, a game in which senior Garrett Johnson took the loss after yielding an unearned run over the final 3 2/3 innings. Despite the narrow escape, the team finished the season tied for third in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League and now looks to carry that momentum forward.