Base running and leaving men stranded continue to cause problems for the El Camino Baseball team, as they dropped the rubber match with San Bernardino Valley College 5-2.
The Warriors (4-4) split the first two games in San Bernardino but failed to close out the series at home, ultimately being unable to bring runners home as they left 10 men on base despite matching the Wolverines (5-4) with 7 hits.
“We need to start learning as a young team,” coach Nate Fernley said. “The hits are similar but we’re just not making the plays when we need to.”
Offense was not the problem for the Warriors, as they have a .346 OBP (On Base Percentage) on the season but they continued to struggle with running the bases, making costly errors at crucial moments and giving the Wolverines easy outs.
“We have to execute,” sophomore designated hitter Dylan Hatch said. “We have to be able to bunt guys over and get hit-and-runs down. Just the little things.”
Starting sophomore pitcher Andy Burschinger lasted 6 innings while giving up 5 hits, 3 earned runs and striking out 4 batters.
Burschinger started the season with three solid outings but did not seem to have his best stuff Saturday against the Wolverines, falling behind in counts and not being able to stick to his best pitches.
“As a pitcher you’re supposed to establish a fastball and throw strikes early on and I wasn’t able to do that,” Burschinger said. “I battled but when you don’t throw strikes consistently that’s what’s going to happen.”
The Warriors fell behind 3-0 early by giving up runs in the top of the first, second and fourth inning before getting on the board in the bottom of the fourth.
Freshman first baseman Ted Dilts started off the inning with a lead-off walk followed by a double by Hatch which put men on first and third base.
Sophomore right fielder Joseph Cortez would then fly out but bring Dilts home with a sacrifice RBI, cutting into the Wolverine lead 3-1.
“We needed a big play to get some kind of momentum to get back in the game and it fired our team up,” sophomore catcher Austin Watters said.
The Wolverines would add two more insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning, knocking Burschinger out of the game and giving them a 5-1 lead.
The Warriors would respond in the bottom of the ninth inning by loading up the bases with no outs thanks to a pair of singles by Hatch and freshman left fielder Alex Turner.
Freshman center fielder Keyon Allen would hit an RBI single to make it a 5-2 game but that would be the only run the Warriors would score in the inning as they dropped the game and the series.
“We’re struggling right now but we’ll come around,” Turner said. “We’re a good solid team.”
Next up the Warriors will travel to Cypress College on Tuesday, followed by a home game with Imperial Valley College on Thursday, before heading to L.A. Pierce College on Saturday, Feb. 22.
“We’d rather make the mistakes now than in conference,” Watters said. “We’d rather lose the tough games now than in conference when it really matters.”