Although the Wildcats completed a 2-1 come-from-behind win over the Camarillo Scorpions at home Tuesday to record their 12th win of the season, West Ranch head coach Trevor Brown believes there’s still much to work on as the team enters the final stretch of the year.
“This wasn’t our best game. I think there’s a lot of things that I wish we could have changed. And I think that this is one of those that I want to kind of erase from the memory, even though it’s a win,” Brown said.
In the top of the second inning, the Scorpions (8-10, 2-2) took an early one-run lead following a leadoff triple.
The Wildcats (12-10, 6-2) and Scorpions battled back and forth with West Ranch having its best opportunity to score in the bottom of the fourth inning on a bases-loaded opportunity.
But the Wildcats left all three runners on to end the inning after Adrian Rivera grounded out to third base.
On the mound, right-hander Orlando Gutierrez started the game for the Wildcats and struck out seven across six innings of work after allowing the one run in the fourth inning.
Despite the missed scoring opportunity in the fourth, the Wildcats came back out in the fifth inning and tied the game after Blake Johnson hit a one-run single. In the next at-bat, Ty Diaz followed Johnson’s single with a one-run triple.
After the game, Brown said he was glad to see the Wildcats capitalize in the fifth inning after the missed bases-loaded opportunity in the fourth inning.
“I’m glad that we put a couple of good spots together there in the fifth,” he said. “It hadn’t been a great game up until that point, but it was important for us to string a few in and it’s good for them as they needed it for their confidence to come up clutch and get some of those hits.”
The Wildcats closed the game out with Ty Diaz on the mound and he ended the day with the save after he allowed two hits and no runs allowed.
It was the Wildcats’ third victory in a row and with all the momentum on their side, Brown is eyeing to end the year strong.
The Wildcats are 6-2 in Foothill League play and are second place in the Foothill league baseball standings.
As the Wildcats have two league series remaining against the Valencia Vikings and first-place Hart Hawks, Brown believes that it’s do-or-die to end the year strong as whoever has more momentum can determine who ends the regular season as the Foothill League champion.
“We have a really tough last four games and we’re going to have to come out and give our best effort to play some really good baseball to go get some wins here on out,” Brown said. “Four or five teams are all pretty much in the same spot and it’s really whoever comes down and plays the best baseball down the road.”
The Wildcats play again on Wednesday, April 15, at home against the visiting Valencia Vikings with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Photos below from the Wildcat’s win over Camarillo:
