West Ranch head coach Trevor Brown doesn’t return to his alma mater at Hart High School often, but when he does, he likes to make it count, as he led his Wildcats to a thrilling 6-5 win over the Hawks for the team’s eighth Foothill League win of the season.
“For me, it was one of the coolest parts of the day,” Brown said on what it means to return to Hart High School. “There’s coaches over there that I had 15 years ago, so I got to reconnect with them a little bit. And Brad [Meza] and I went to school at the same time … so it was a cool experience getting to see those guys and makes it a little more special.”
Brown, who has his name on a wall that features Hart’s alumni that made the majors just 100 feet away from the opposing dugout, said his players got to see the plaque and described it as a “cool experience.”
For those West Ranch (14-12, 8-3) players, they got to give Brown a show as the Wildcats opened the game with an early five-run lead after the third inning.
But in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Hawks (10-14-1, 5-5-1) rallied and tied the game at five apiece going into the sixth inning that was highlighted by a two-run single from Hayden Rhodes.
In the top of the sixth, the Wildcats took the lead back after Preston Loren, who was ninth in the batting lineup, hit a two-out, one-run single.
After the game, Brown said Loren stepped up big in the win over Hart and is a player who works hard to contribute.
“Preston Loren came up with three huge hits today,” Brown said. “Just a fantastic day for him and what a great kid, totally earns it and deserves it.”
With the win, the Wildcats remain tied for first in the Foothill League standings with Castaic as both teams hold an 8-3 record going into Friday’s action.
The Wildcats need at least a win to guarantee themselves a share of the Foothill League title. But should the Coyotes lose and West Ranch win, Brown and the Wildcats will dogpile as the outright league champs for the second year in a row.
For Brown, Friday’s Foothill League finale against Hart is expected to be another dogfight, and he’s looking forward to seeing his team close out the year with a win.
“We put ourselves in a good spot,” he said. “I think Friday is going to be battle of the year between us and them and we’re just going to just go out and get a win and finish strong.”
The series finale between the Hawks and Wildcats is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. at West Ranch High School on Friday.
After Wednesday’s games, here are scores from around the Foothill League:
Castaic 2, Canyon 0: Following a narrow victory at home over the Cowboys (9-16, 0-11) on senior night, the Coyotes (18-8, 8-3) are one win away from at least a share of the Foothill League title.
Should both the Coyotes and West Ranch win on Friday, the teams share the league title. But if the Wildcats lose and Coyotes win, Castaic then claims the title outright.
Regardless, a win for Castaic on Friday would mean history for the program as the Coyotes have yet to win the title in their program’s history.
The series between the Coyotes and Cowboys picks back up on Friday at Canyon High School with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Valencia 16, Golden Valley 0: The Vikings (11-13-1, 6-4-1), who entered Wednesday’s action on the outside looking in for an automatic playoff berth, secured a big home win over Golden Valley (12-11, 3-8) and hold the fourth spot in the Foothill League standings.
After a Hart loss, the Vikings jumped the Hawks with a 6-4-1 record and are one win away from securing their bid into the playoffs.
The matchup between the Vikings and Grizzlies picks back up on Friday at Golden Valley High School with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
