CALIFORNIA - The diamond Pintos were on the wrong end of a one-hitter, losing to Blair Oaks 11-1 Monday in their last home game of the regular season. California allowed four runs in the fourth and sixth innings to fall behind quickly.
"We had some walks and errors and that's what happens in baseball," said California coach Jason Gatlin. "Baseball is a funny game and you just have to be able to play through it."
The lone bright spot from the game was that Landon Mouse made his return to the mound, pitching in his first game since his ankle injury last month. He allowed two runs on three hits in two innings of work.
"Landon came in and pitched the first two innings and did a fantastic job," Gatlin said. "Those two runs he gave up were nothing. They had a couple bloop singles to get the first two guys on base and they just kind of pushed them around. It was good to see him back out there again."
Mouse did pitch a 1-2-3 inning in the second inning before handing the reins to Jackson Trachsel who pitched the next three innings, allowing four runs - one earned - on one hit.
After Blair Oaks scored two runs in the top of the first inning, the Pintos answered in their half of the inning, cutting the Falcons' lead to 2-1. Mouse doubled down the left field line - the only hit in the game - and scored after after an error by the pitcher trying to throw a runner out at first base.
Jaden Barr was the only other Pinto to reach base, walking three times in the game and never making it past second base. As a team, California struck out eight times and had 10 infield ground outs. Only four balls made it to the outfield, with one being Mouse's hit.
"Our team had a lack of offense and we struck out quite a few times tonight," Gatlin said. "They didn't see enough pitches and didn't make the Blair Oak's pitcher work hard enough. I thought it was very one-sided at the plate tonight."
In the two innings where the Falcons scored four runs, they did so in very different ways. In the fourth inning, the Falcons only recorded one hit while putting the crooked number on the board, and in the sixth, they used five hits to add to the lead.
A bases-loaded walk, passed ball, squeeze bunt and balk allowed the runs to score in the fourth. In the sixth, Blair Oaks opened the inning with three-straight singles, to score one run, and Jordan Hair and Brent Heckemeyer's singles scored three more. Another run in the seventh gave them the 11-1 lead.
California (9-9) has the luxury of a bye the Class 3, District 13 Tournament. They play the winner of Sherwood and Cole Camp Monday, May 18 at 7 p.m.
"We just have to practice," said Gatlin. "We have to get in some good cage time. I just think we had an off night tonight."