McKinleyville tops California High 2-1 behind Joe Tanno’s complete game

Joe Tanno threw a complete game and McKinleyville squeezed past California High School 2-1 in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division 2 baseball playoffs, extending a late-season run built on pitching, defense and just enough timely hitting.

The Panthers entered the bracket as the No. 1 seed, while California came in as the No. 16 seed from the Bay Area, but the matchup carried more tension than the seed lines suggested. McKinleyville did not get a first-round bye, and Tanno said he was glad the Panthers had to play right away because it gave the team a playoff atmosphere from the start. His three-pitch mix held California to three hits and kept the game in McKinleyville’s control even as the margin stayed tight.

Blake Santos opened the scoring with an RBI single in the third inning, giving McKinleyville a 1-0 lead and putting pressure on a California lineup that had to manufacture offense against Tanno all afternoon. The Panthers added an insurance run in the fourth when Pat Wilson doubled and Tanno helped his own cause with a double after a bunt attempt was not executed. That second run proved decisive when California finally pushed across its lone score later in the game.

McKinleyville’s defense backed up the pitching effort, including a diving catch by Santos in the final inning to help shut the door. The victory fit a familiar pattern for the Panthers, who had already clinched the Big 5 title outright with a 9-2 win over Arcata on May 6 and then claimed their third straight Charles Lakin Tournament championship with a 5-1 win over Eureka on May 16. Tate Saso threw a complete game in that Lakin title game, adding to a stretch that also included a 6-4 win over St. Bernard’s in a battle of conference champions.

That run underscored why McKinleyville has looked built for the postseason. In a section bracket where Division 2 opened May 20 and championship-round games were set for May 29 and 30, the Panthers showed they could win the way playoff teams often have to win in May: with complete games, clean defense and just enough offense to survive.