MORAGA — High school baseball in March is usually pressure-free. 

Teams are tinkering with their lineups. Players are just starting to get into their groove. With every win and loss, there’s lessons to be learned for the rest of the season. 

No one told that to Pittsburg or Campolindo. The two teams played Tuesday’s game as if a section title was on the line. 

In a game that included an ejection, tense moments and a sizzling finale, Pittsburg – ranked fourth in the latest Bay Area News Group rankings – notched its 10th straight win with a 7-6 road victory over Campolindo. It’s Pittsburg’s longest win streak to a season in the MaxPreps era (since 2004). 

“It felt like a big heavyweight fight,” Pittsburg coach Marco Cartagena said. “We just felt that this was a good chance to continue to move forward.”

Senior JD Wilson made the play of the game, throwing out a tagging Campolindo runner from third base with a line drive throw from right field that prevented the Cougars from tying the game in the seventh inning. 

BYU commit JJ Robinson led the Pirates as a hitter and a pitcher. The senior was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two doubles. He came in as a relief pitcher in the fourth inning and struck out five while allowing no runs and just one hit. 

“We’re 10-0 and everyone wants to beat us,” Robinson said. “When people see a Pittsburg uniform, we get everyone’s best and that’s a pleasure. We’re the team to beat.”

Pittsburg broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the fourth inning when Robinson knocked in Santino Valle and Santino Salazar on a crushed ball that bounced off the center field wall to give the Pirates a two-run lead. 

Plays like that are what is usually enough to put Pittsburg opponents away. The Pirates’ power and speed make it tough for opposing teams to mount comebacks. 

But Campolindo wasn’t scared of the moment and the Cougars made their move in the bottom half of the inning.

Campolindo loaded the bases early and cut the Pittsburg lead to one when junior Blake Robison was hit by a pitch, scoring sophomore Frank Polichio. 

In the next at-bat, senior Jack Luster hit a bases-clearing double to give Campolindo a 6-4 lead to end the fourth inning. 

With the home crowd fired up, the Cougars looked to be on the verge of handing the Pirates their first loss of the season. 

The Pittsburg offense had other plans. 

Senior Devin Simonton tied the game after he scored from third on an error from Campolindo on a dropped third strike. Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo commit Ty Thompson then reached home on a ground out, making the score 7-6 through five and a half innings. 

“Two runs is nothing for us,” Cartagena said. “But we could have easily crumbled, but it shows the fortitude this team has. They have that grinding mentality.” 

Robinson, opened the bottom of the seventh with a strikeout, but then walked the next three batters to load the bases. With one out, Campolindo just needed to put the ball in play to score a runner from third to tie the game. 

The Cougars did that as they hit a deep fly ball to Wilson in right field. Wilson, who was only put into the lineup after a Pittsburg player was ejected in the second inning, came up clutch for the Pirates. 

With a Campolindo player tagging from third base, Wilson threw the ball on a line to home plate in time to get the runner out and end the game on a double play. 

“They hit the ball and I just had tunnel vision,” Wilson said. “I almost dropped it, but I was still able to get the out at home.” 

Campolindo entered Tuesday’s game 6-1 with its only loss coming against Vintage. While coach Julian Fiammengo said he was proud of his team’s effort, he believes the Cougars just made too many missteps at the end of the game. 

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“They just took advantage of our mistakes and we made too many of them,” he said. “They just out-executed us.” 

Campolindo will get another tough test when it plays Northgate (5-2) on Thursday at St. Mary’s College. 

Pittsburg will play American Canyon before a matchup with the reigning NorCal champions Granada next Tuesday at home. 

“We lost to Granada last year on a walk-off, so it’s personal this year,” Robinson said. “We want that game bad.”