Bobcats win opener in the Valley

The Saddleback baseball team opened up a three-game series at College of the Sequoias with a 5-2 victory over the Giants on Tuesday in Visalia, California.  The Bobcats are now seven games above .500 for the first time this season.

Saddleback hit the road for the annual trip to the Central Valley to start a three-game set against Sequoias on Tuesday.  The Bobcats used a combination of solid pitching and timely hitting in turning back the Giants in the opener.

Saddleback opened up a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Ben Castelli led off with a single and was later brought around to score on a single from Jake Tyler.  The Bobcats added three more runs in the third inning when sending seven batters to the plate.  Jacob Beauchaine made the score 3-0 when he tripled home both Castelli and J.C. Allen.  He later came around to score on a single from Robert Gray.  Beauchaine (pictured) wasn't finished, giving Saddleback a 5-0 lead in the top half of the fifth inning when he doubled home Makani Tanaka. 

Saddleback started Damon Anderson Wolf on the mound, and he went six innings in improving to 4-2 on the season.  Anderson Wolf struck out two while allowing one walk and nine hits before giving way to the bullpen.  Jake Porter entered and pitched two innings before turning the ball over to Ryan Seymour in the bottom half of the ninth inning.  Seymour closed the door on the Giants, getting two strikeouts to pick up his first save of the season.

Beauchaine finished 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead the offense.  Castelli was a constant thorn in the side of the Giants, reaching base in all five plate appearances while finishing 3-for-3 with two runs-scored. 

Saddleback is now 16-9 overall for the year following the win.  It is the first time the Bobcats have reached seven games above .500 for the year.  It was also the third straight win for Saddleback, who will continue the series with Sequoias on Wednesday.  The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 PM in Visalia.