Late homer lifts Bobcats

The Saddleback baseball team won its fourth straight game with a 4-2 victory over College of the Sequoias on Wednesday in Visalia.   Ben Castelli hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to lift the Bobcats.

Saddleback used the long ball in the win on Wednesday.  The Bobcats hit a pair of home runs while the pitching continued its streak of good starts.

J.C. Allen opened the scoring in the top half of the first inning when he hit his 10^th home run of the season for a 1-0 lead.  It ended a 12-game homer drought for Allen, who now sits in a tie for fourth place in the state in home runs.

Saddleback added a run in the top half of the fifth inning when Makani Tanaka had a two-out single to score Andrew Nykoluk. 

Sequoias tied the game in the bottom half of the fifth inning, taking advantage of a couple of wild pitches, a walk and a hit.  The game remained even at 2-2 until the top half of the ninth inning when the Bobcats struck for the eventual game-winner.  Bryson Hoier led off the inning with a double before Castelli (pictured) stepped to the plate and delivered a two-run homer.  It was the first home run of the season for Castelli and his first in over a year.  Castelli last homered on March 13 of last season when he hit his sixth of the season against Fullerton College.

Saddleback started Tyler Byrns on the mound and he pitched through the fifth inning before leaving with the game tied at 2-2.  The Bobcats then went to the bullpen, which provided little opportunity for the Giants.  Isaac Rodriguez, Dylan Blakey and Zachary Allegro allowed just one hit over the final four innings in shutting down the Sequoias bats.  Blakey (3-2) was credited with his third win of the season while Allegro picked up his sixth save of the year.

Saddleback is now 17-9 overall and eight games above .500 for the first time this season.  The Bobcats and Giants will finish the three-game set on Thursday at 12:00 PM.