California's leadoff and cleanup hitters lived up to their respective roles in last Tuesday's 11-4 win over Cole Camp.
Leadoff man Cory Stephens started three different innings with a hit and came around to score each time.
"(Cory) is picking up where he left off," said California coach Matt Moulder. "He's a good table-setter for us. I'd like to be able to hit him in the three hole, but he does such a good job getting on base that we're not going to mess with a good thing right now."
In the cleanup spot, Jackson Trachsel drove in four runs with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate that started with a sacrifice fly for the game's first run. Trachsel added two triples and a double to power the Pintos' offense.
"(Jackson) is hitting the ball hard and really seeing it well," Moulder said. "He's letting it get deep and driving it to right-center really well. He's hitting it with authority and using his lower half really well."
California pitcher Cade Knipp kept the Bluebirds' bats quiet for the game's first three innings. Knipp went four frames to get the win and received solid defense from his infielders throughout the game.
"Overall, we were pretty solid," Moulder said. "Cade did a nice job early on of being efficient, throwing strikes and getting ground balls."
Knipp cruised through Cole Camp's first trip through the batting order without allowing a hit. Jarrett Farrar put the Bluebirds in the hit column with a fourth inning single and subsequent doubles from Evan Shearer and Adam Boyd gave Cole Camp its first two runs of the ballgame after the Pintos had raced off to a 5-0 lead after three.
Knipp was pulled after surrendering a leadoff single to start the fifth. He finished with a final line of three earned runs, four hits, five strikeouts and no walks allowed.
"(Cade) has put some work in in the weight room," Moulder said. "He's bigger and stronger and definitely developing. He's still not going to blow anybody away, but overall, he does a nice job for us."
Sophomore Gabe Bailey came on in relief for the Pintos to throw two scoreless innings. After allowing a walk to the first batter he faced, Bailey settled in nicely to retire the next six Cole Camp hitters that stepped to the plate. Senior Brayden Ash threw the seventh inning for the Pintos, allowing one run on a pair of doubles.
At the dish, last Tuesday's result was all about the big inning for the California. The Pintos clubbed four runs in the third inning against Cole Camp starter Kaden Harms. They then put five more runs on the board in the fifth after the Bluebirds had made it a three-run game.
California batted around in both innings. Production from the bottom half of the order was a big key in that. Cole Schlup reached base three times on a pair of hits, Sam Kirby got on twice and scored both times, and Hayden Green drove in two runs with a pair of hits.