Sutter senior pitcher Jagger Beck (11) throws a pitch in the Huskies’ 3-2 defeat at Bear River on Tuesday, April 23.

SUTTER, CA (MPG) - The Sutter Huskies won the Pioneer Valley League title outright as they defeated the Bear River Bruins 11-1 on Thursday, April 25.

The win also secured the fifth consecutive league title for Sutter. The Huskies split the week with Bear River as they lost the series opener 3-2 on Tuesday, April 23.

 Bear River sophomore pitcher (44) Karen Nicholls throws one of his 109 pitches in the Bruins’ 3-2 win against Sutter on Tuesday, April 23.

The game on April 23 featured two of the premier small-school arms in the Sac-Joaquin Section on the mound between Sutter senior Jagger Beck and Bear River sophomore Kaden Nicholls.

Both pitchers had yet to give up an earned run in a game, but that stat washed away as the two pitchers dealt with a strike zone that could only be seen with a microscope.

Sutter got on the scoreboard in the first inning after junior first baseman Brady Wickum hit a runs-batted-in (RBI) single that brought in senior outfielder Rylan Giovannoni. 

Nicholls tied the game at one in the bottom of the first as he scored on a passed ball with two outs. The Bruins were able to get three hits throughout the game, but none of those hits brought a run in for Bear River.

The Bruins added a run in the third and fourth inning off of Beck, and passed balls were how Bear River had a 3-1 lead after four innings. 

Beck threw four innings in the game, gave up three total hits and three runs, but struck out five. 

The Huskies had five hits throughout the game and had a lot of well-hit balls: unfortunately it was consistently hit into the glove of a Bear River player.

 Sutter senior shortstop Logan Yacavace (4) fields a ground ball in the Huskies’ 3-2 loss at Bear River on Tuesday, April 23.

Sutter was able to get another run in the sixth inning when junior utility Connor Infglin hit a sacrifice fly to score senior shortstop Logan Yacavace.

Huskies senior pitcher Kasey Combo threw scoreless fifth and sixth inning frames as he shut down the Bruins’ lineup.

Nicholls had thrown 95 pitches through the first six innings and was close to the maximum pitch count allowed for a single outing. 

In the top of the seventh, Sutter had the tying run on third, but Nicholls was able to get the final out of the game under the pitch count, and the Huskies had their first league loss and the first loss to a Northern California team this season.

Sutter came back a couple days later and blasted the Bruins 11-1 in six innings. The win clinched the PVL title and the Huskies’ fifth consecutive league title after Wheatland lost to Center on April 25.

Sutter played at Bryant Field this past Monday against Colusa and was scheduled to finish PVL play against Colfax Tuesday and yesterday, May 2.

In the first set of playoff projections with seedings by MaxPreps on April 25, the Huskies were projected as the second seed in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division V Playoffs.

The playoff brackets are scheduled to be announced tomorrow, Saturday, May 4.

 Sutter junior third baseman Ezra Hilleary (2) swings at a pitch in the Huskies’ 3-2 defeat at Bear River on Tuesday, April 23.