Pinpoint pitching and highlight-reel defense helped Ripon Christian’s Luke Crivello to a record-setting pitching performance in a 5-0 blanking of visiting Denair that guaranteed the Knights at least a share of the Southern Athletic League baseball championship.

Thanks to a pair of inning-ending double plays, Crivello entered the seventh inning having faced the minimum. The Wolves (6-7 SAL, 7-11 overall) grounded out to second baseman Dustin Hoekstra to start the frame, and then for the second out Hoekstra ranged to his left and flipped the ball directly out of his mitt to first for the second out.

Noah Lunduqist then barely beat out an infield single before Crivello notched his eighth strikeout to end the contest.

“That was an incredible glove save at the end,” Knights coach John de Visser said of Hoekstra’s nifty fielding. “It helped Crivello to a record 58-pitch win. The previous record was Clayton Friend’s in 2010. He had a perfect game against Modesto Christian where he threw 58 fastballs, two curveballs and a changeup. This game beats that record.

“We were two jammed shots away from a perfect game,” de Visser added. “This was the best game we have played defensively all year, and one of the best approaches we have had as far as going the other way. He only got to one three-ball count and had two four-pitch innings. It was dominance. It was awesome.”

Crivello allowed three hits and issued no walks.

“I felt good coming into the game,” Crivello said. “My arm felt loose, and I was ready to go and get the league title.”

Grant Sonke (2 for 3, two RBI, double) singled in the first run for Ripon Christian (11-2, 18-8) in the second inning, scoring Logan Sauer (two runs). Josh Buffalow (RBI, run) sacrificed Kayden Anderson in later in the inning and David Koolhaas (2 for 3, double) capped the frame with a double, taking advantage of the defensive set of Denair which left right field wide open.

“I was thinking oppo (opposite field),” Koolhaas said. “It was a very weird shift. I don’t know what they were thinking. The outfielder tried to track it and it bounced off of his glove so I kept going. There was no reason to stop.”

Sonke capped the scoring on an RBI double in the sixth inning that plated Sauer.

“Just doing our job and having a good approach is what it comes down to,” Sonke said. “My whole job is to get on base and trust my guys can score me.”

Sonke’s seventh-inning double came on a 3-0 count.

“I gave him the option,” de Visser said. “He is so hot right now. I trust him. He has been in my system for four years and play collegiate ball. We’ve talked about if you like it go, if you don’t then don’t. I gave him the option there and obviously, he did good with it.

“That was as extreme a shift as I have ever seen here. It was all pull side with everybody except our left hander. We made them pay to the opposite field four or five times, because those would have been lazy fly balls to the right fielder.”

The two teams wrap up the SAL schedule Thursday afternoon in Denair at 4.