The De Anza Mountain Lions lost 12-2 against Hartnell College in their 39th game of the season on April 27. 

In the top of the first inning, Hartnell College scored 1-0, but the player Tae Kim of the Mountain Lions tied the score in the bottom of the first inning.

There was a chance for victory in the fourth inning after the Mountain Lions gave up three scores each in the third and fourth inning, but they could not make a move. 

After Hartnell College scored three in the sixth inning and one in the eighth and ninth, the chance came to the Mountain Lions again. Izaiah Alvarado doubled in the ninth inning and Benedetto Giovannetti scored 12-2, but the game was already set.

Although the Mountain Lions gave up more runs and scores, the team made more hits than Hartnell. 

De Anza’s assistant coach Andrew Merken said the starting pitcher, Alex Alfonzo, did a good job and the team had made good hits early in the game.  

“I think the team came out ready to play,” Merken said. “Good energy, good team chemistry. Things just didn’t go our way.”

Merken said the Mountain Lions’ strategy was consistency and playing “clean baseball”.

“Improvement wise, we want to stay consistent throughout the whole game in hitting and fielding,” he said. “Pitching wise,  throwing more strikes and not walking so many guys.”

The Mountain Lions could not reach 10 wins in the season, but the team won nine overall games. This is three more compared to last season.

A majority of the Mountain Lions are currently freshmen and will remain next season. Assistant coach Joshua Pasenelli said that the returning players will progress together.

“[This] should create some good leadership for the younger guys to improve,” Pasenelli said.

Coach Merken also holds high hopes for next season.

“We’re excited for next season,” Merken said. “With the current core group we have coming in and next season’s new batch of freshmen coming in, we think it’s going to be a really good year.”