COLE EIGENHUIS threw a two-hit shutout against Oakmont as Benicia High’s baseball team advanced to a best-of-3 semifinal series in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

Cole Eigenhuis threw a two-hit shutout and Benicia High’s baseball team pounded out 13 hits in a 6-0 victory over No. 6 seed Oakmont in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs Tuesday at American River College.

The Panthers (16-12), seeded third in the tournament, advanced to a best-of-three semifinal series against No. 2 seed Del Campo beginning Saturday. Del Campo (20-8) needed eight innings to eliminate Bethel on Tuesday, 2-1.

Eigenhuis was in complete control against Oakmont (16-12), retiring eight of the first 10 Vikings he faced and not allowing a hit until Joseph Zanolli’s two-out single in the fourth inning. Sean Acrea’s single in the sixth was Oakmont’s only other hit as Eigenhuis struck out four in a complete-game effort.

“He did what he’s been doing for us all year – winning the big games,” said Benicia manager Jim Bowles. “He went right at them with fastballs early but threw more breaking balls as the game went on and got it over the plate regularly.”

Benicia’s offense got a boost with the return of senior Isiah Saguar, who missed the previous six weeks with an injury. Saguar wasn’t rusty at all, going 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.

“That was one of the best playoff performances I’ve ever seen,” Bowles said of Saguar’s return.

The Panthers scored three times in the bottom of the third and never looked back. Steve Urias delivered a two-out single that scored Alex Osterholt and Makoa Copp, and Saguar followed with a single that scored Ethan Payne to make it 3-0.

A RBI single by Xian Covington-Hunt and a sacrifice fly by Justin Badger upped Benicia’s lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning, and Saguar singled in Ethan Phillips with an insurance run in the sixth.

“Our offense is really clicking,” Bowles said. “We hit a lot of balls hard were very tough outs all the way through the lineup.”

Del Campo, which finished second behind top-seeded Bella Vista in the Capital Valley Conference this season, eliminated Bethel when Joe Gallagher’s walkoff sacrifice fly scored Ryan Gil in the bottom of the eighth. The Cougars won the Division II championship in 2013 while Benicia won the title in 2014.

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