The Winters High School varsity baseball team continues to do things right even when it comes to losing. If you are going to lose your first game of the season after starting out 9-0 do it before it matters like in the Woodland tournament against a good team before league starts.
A loss at this point of the season can be the key to winning their fourth straight section championship. Humility will force you to refocus on the things that matter. Understanding that the next play or the next pitch is the most important play or pitch of the game is invaluable when it comes to staying on top when everyone else is gunning for you.
The Warriors competed in the Woodland Tournament and went 3-0 after losing their first game to Liberty Ranch on Monday, March 26. Winters held a 5-1 lead going into the fourth inning but let the Hawks back in the game in the bottom of the fourth when they scored four runs to tie it up. The Warriors scored three more runs in the top of the fifth to go up 8-5 but gave up six runs in the bottom of the seventh and lost their first game of the season 11-8.
Anthony Carrion got the start on the mound throwing the first 3.2 innings giving up five runs, just one earned on five hits, had six walks and three strikeouts. Jacob Roberts came in for relieve and gave up six runs, just two earned on one hit with three walks and had one strikeout for the loss.
At the plate, Atlas Martinez led the Warriors batting 2 for 3 with a double, a run scored and two RBI. Roberts batted 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Sammy Gonzales scored a run. Brandon Gomez went 1 for 3 with two RBI. Ruben Valencia batted 1 for 3 with a run scored. Gary Molina batted 1 for 4 with an RBI. Daniel Carrion batted 1 for 2 with a double and two runs scored, while Thomas Kakutani batted 1 for 4 with a run scored.
After the loss, the Warriors put that chip back on their shoulders and got back to their winning attitude as they won their next three games by a run difference of 41-10. Winters started with a 16-0 shutout over Pioneer in their second game of the day. Gomez got the start and the win throwing all five innings. Gomez gave up no runs on four hits with one walk and had nine strikeouts.
Gomez helped himself out at the plate going 3 for 3 with four runs scored and two RBI. Roberts batted 2 for 3 with a run scored and three RBI. Anthony Carrion batted 2 for 5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Gonzales batted 1 for 2 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI. Valencia went 1 for 3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Gary Molina had two RBI. Daniel Carrion batted 1 for 1 with a triple, two runs scored and three RBI. Kakutani scored a run and Jack Mariani batted 1 for 3 with a run scored.
On Tuesday, March 27, the Warriors played Union Mine from El Dorado and won 10-7 over the Diamondbacks. Valencia got the start and the win throwing the first 5.2 innings. Valencia gave up three runs, just one earned on two hits with nine walks and had three strikeouts. Tyler Perez finished the game throwing the last inning for the Warriors.
Kakutani led the Warriors at the plate batting 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. Roberts batted 2 for 4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Martinez went 2 for 4 with a triple, a run scored and two RBI. Gonzales had an RBI. Gomez went 1 for 3 with two runs scored. Valencia batted 1 for 3 with a run scored and two RBI. Daniel Carrion batted 1 for 4 with two runs scored. Anthony Carrion went 1 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI and McKay Baker scored a run.
Winters returned to the tournament on Wednesday, March 28, to take on Union Mine again and won 15-3 this time. Winters scored 14 of their runs in the fourth inning alone. On the mound, Mariani got the start and threw the first two innings for the Warriors. Mariani gave up one run on four hits. Daniel Carrion came in to throw the last three innings for the win giving up two unearned runs on three hits and struck out four batters.
The Warriors totaled 15 hits with 14 RBI at the plate led by Gomez who batted 3 for 4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Valencia batted 1 for 2 with a run scored and two RBI. Molina went 1 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. Daniel Carrion batted 2 for 2 with two runs scored and an RBI. Martinez batted 2 for 3 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Anthony Carrion batted 2 for 4 with a triple, a run scored and two RBI. Perez batted 2 for 2 with two runs scored and an RBI. Roberts batted 2 for 4 with a double, two runs scored and four RBI, while Kakutani scored a run and had an RBI.
The Warriors will compete in the Sutter Tournament this week before returning home on April 10, to host Colusa in their league opener.
