Colton Richardson’s three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning capped a dramatic comeback as Benicia High’s baseball team rallied for a 6-4 victory over visiting Washington in Wednesday’s opening round of the North Coast Section Division 2 Playoffs.

COLTON RICHARDSON blasted a three-run homer in the sixth inning to vault the Panthers past Washington in Wednesday’s opening round of the NCS Playoffs.

The No. 4 seeded Panthers (17-8) trailed 4-0 until pinch-runner Jax Core scored on a balk in the bottom of the fifth inning. Still down by three entering the sixth, junior Peyton Rowles pulled Benicia closer with a solo homer to left.
“I had to pick us up and that brought back our energy,” Rowles said. “I thought I’d popped it up but the wind kept carrying it.”
Myles Cooper reached safely with two outs to keep the inning going, and singles by Wyatt Miyamoto and Jaden Mason made it 4-3. That brought up Richardson, who had been taken out of the game back in the second inning after dislocating his finger sliding into second base on an attempted steal.
“I jammed it and it kinda snapped sideways,” Richardson said. “I was a little in shock, but we popped it back into place and I wanted to get back in the game.”
Stepping in as a pinch hitter, the sophomore hit the first pitch from reliever Dylan Letke over the fence in left for a three-run homer, giving Benicia a sudden 6-4 lead.
“That was probably the most excited I’ve ever been in baseball,” Richardson said.
Pitcher Cormac O’Connell held No. 13 seed Washington (13-11) scoreless in the top of the seventh to save the win for reliever Jacob George, sending Benicia to the quarterfinals against visiting Vintage on Saturday at 1 p.m. The No. 5 seeded Crushers (17-10) knocked off De Anza, 5-3, in their opening round.
All four Diablo Foothill Athletic League teams that made the NCS Playoffs were victorious in the first round. Acalanes and College Park each won by shutout while Campolindo beat Montgomery, 4-1.

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