San Marcos belted out 12 hits and a trio of pitchers kept host Rio Mesa at bay in a 6-1 win to open Channel League play Friday.
Starter Cole Schoenwetter struck out eight in his 3.1 innings. He was followed by Erik Perez with 2.2 innings and three Ks, and then Caden Hodina striking out two in the seventh inning. None of the pitchers gave up an earned run.
Offensively, Schoenwetter, Owen Estabrook, Mason Pettingill and Dayne Dreste all doubled for the Royals. Brad Cekada had two hits, and Darren Orlando, Brendon Cekada, Steven Bradley, Patrick Kelly, Lance Anderson and Kieran Babai all singled.
The Royals, 3-3 overall and 1-0 in league play, host Rio Mesa in a rain-makeup game on Monday at 3:30 p.m.
Buena 7, Dos Pueblos 2
Kevin Wirtz went 3.2 innings and struck out four in the Chargers’ Channel League loss at Buena.
Joe Talarcio doubled and scored both DP runs. Jesse Di Maggio had a pair of singles and Zach Gesswein added a single.
DP is 1-1 in league and 1-7 overall.
Carpinteria 3, Malibu 1
Carpinteria freshman right-hander Gabe Martinez won his second game in two days in a 3-1 decision over visiting Malibu in a Citrus Coast League game Friday.
Martinez, after a one-inning game-winning relief stint Thursday against Hueneme, went the distance against the Sharks, scattering eight hits and giving up just one walk and one earned run while striking out four.
He out-dueled Malibu senior Trevor Nickerson, who gave up three earned runs on eight hits and three walks.
The Sharks scored first, pushing a run across in the second. The Warriors responded with two runs in the fourth, as Joaquin Ramirez drove in both Diego Nieves from third base and Isaac Flores from second with a single to left.
Talon Trumble added an insurance run with a solo home run in the right field palm trees in the the fifth.
“There were some big plays and big hits in this game, but it really came down to the battery,” Carpinteria coach Patrick Cooney said. “Martinez and catcher Nieves worked very well together navigating a good lineup. There is a great deal of trust between them already. The pace of play was so fast that the defense stayed on their toes and made some terrific plays.”
Ramirez paced the offense with two hits and two RBI, while Martinez helped his own cause with two hits. Erich Goebel was on base twice with a hit and a walk and he stole second each time. Diego Nieves had a hit, a walk and scored a run.
“The players deserve a bunch of credit for waiting through weather situations, postponements, and then back-to-back games,” Cooney said. The three seniors we have in Goebel, Nieves and Matt Muñoz have really established the right environment for good baseball. The challenge will be to keep it going and making progress.
The Warriors are 3-1 in CCL and overall. They play at Nordhoff Monday in another league game.
Santa Ynez 6, Pioneer Valley 6 (10 innings)
Santa Ynez erased a four-run deficit in the seventh inning and then battled to a 6-6 tie before the game was called.
Caleb Cassidy led the Pirates’ attack, going 4-for-4 with four RBI. Mario Cabrera ignited the team with a lead-off single off the bench.
Tyler Koopmans pitched six innings in relief, giving up just three hits and one run.
“Very proud of the team,” Santa Ynez coach Warren Dickey said. “They fought their butts off today.”