Fred Williams ripped a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning and pitcher Matt Brown made it stand up as Benicia High’s baseball team captured the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship with a 2-1 victory over Christian Brothers on Monday at Sacramento City College.

BENICIA HIGH’S baseball team captured the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II pennant after defeating Christian Brothers, 2-1, in Monday’s championship game in Sacramento.

It was the first baseball Section title for Benicia (27-5) since 2011 and the third SJS crown for Jim Bowles in his 14-year managing career.

“We started building this team two years ago and they worked so hard to get here,” Bowles said. “They wanted this real bad and I’m so happy for them. They deserve this.”

Many of the Panthers vividly remembered last year’s loss to Del Campo in the Section championship game and felt relieved to go all the way this season.

“It’s a great feeling to finally get here,” Williams said.

“We were so hungry after losing last year,” Brown said. “We had a deep pitching staff and great hitting.”

Brown, who was unbeaten in the playoffs and 9-1 this season entering Monday, got off to a shaky start against the Falcons (24-7). Brendon Gormley led off the game with a single but was caught trying to steal second. Anthony Calderon followed with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch and scored when Zach Ewertsen delivered an RBI single for a quick 1-0 Christian Brothers lead.

The Panthers didn’t trail for long. Anthony Clyma led off the bottom of the first with an infield single and Williams followed a two-run homer to left off a 1-0 pitch to give Benicia the lead.

“I knew it was going out as soon as it left the bat,” Williams said. “He came in with a fastball and I was nice and relaxed. I didn’t try to do too much. I just wanted to put a good swing on it and it went over.”

FRED WILLIAMS (right) gets congratulated by teammate Anthony Fellman after hitting a two-run homer in the first inning.

Benicia, however, wouldn’t get another hit the rest of the day off Christian Brothers lefty pitcher Steven Talbert. Williams walked with two outs and no one on in third and was promptly thrown out stealing. Caleb Van Blake reached on an error in fourth, but that was it until the sixth inning when Hudson Bishop and Anthony Fellman each reached safely on two-out infield errors and Van Blake walked to load the bases. But that two-out rally yielded nothing.

Fortunately for the Panthers, Brown was blowing away Christian Brothers hitters with regularity. After giving up that RBI single in the first inning, Brown went on to retire 19 of the next 23 batters and never allowed more than one base runner in any inning.

“I was a little nervous at the beginning of the game but once I got my groove, I was feeling it,” said Brown, who scattered five hits and two walks and struck out 10. “After the first inning I felt like I could locate everything. All my pitches were going where I wanted them.”

“He’s a big-game pitcher,” Bowles said of Brown, who will play for San Jose State University next season. “He has the type of mentality where he can carry a team on his shoulders. When we beat good teams it’s usually with good pitching and defense. Once we had the lead and the game was moving along, we were very much in our comfort zone.”

Benicia’s defense didn’t commit an error and made all the plays behind Brown, who was mobbed at home plate after striking out the game’s final hitter.

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