Bobcats win opener at Sequoias

The Saddleback baseball team was a 4-2 winner over College of the Sequoias in the opening game of a three-game series in Visalia, California.  The Bobcats rode the arm of Arthur Liu to the 21^st win of the season.

Liu kept the Giants quiet for most of the day in pitching 6.1 innings before leaving in the seventh.  He struck out eight while surrendering just three hits in improving to 7-1 for the season.

Saddleback scored two runs in the sixth inning to take a 2-0 lead on the Giants.   The Bobcats had three consecutive hits from Isaiah Morales, Jason Hefft and J.C. Allen to score the opening run.  Later in the inning Jack Collins brought home Hefft on a sacrifice fly for the second run of the inning.

Saddleback had a 2-1 lead heading into the ninth inning when the Bobcats added a pair of insurance runs.  Zachary Schwartzberg started the rally with a single and then advanced to second base on a defensive miscue.  He would then head to third base after a wild pitch before scoring on a ground out from Makani Tanaka.  Jacob Naso would later bring home Collins on a sacrifice bunt.

Saddleback brought in Blake Butcher to finish off the ninth inning.  Butcher surrendered a run before getting out of the inning with a double play to pick up his second save of the season.

Saddleback is now 21-7 overall following the win. 

Saddleback and Sequoias will play game two of the series tomorrow at 1:00 PM in Visalia.