The Mountain Lions beat the visiting Contra Costa Comets 14-3 on Feb. 25.
Skylar Roenicke (De Anza. 27), 20, film and TV production major, took the mound as the starting pitcher for the Mountain Lions.
Roenicke gave up a run to a Comets hitter in the top of the first inning.
The Mountain Lions came back in the bottom of the second inning, scoring five runs with 4 hits.
Right fielder Evan McRae (De Anza No. 19), 20, business major, singled bringing in shortstop Drew Paxton (De Anza No. 2) and second baseman Luca Calderone (De Anza No. 1) to score.
Left fielder Logan Vieira (De Anza No. 24), 20, business major, followed up with a triple as McRae crossed the plate to score another run.
Alec Ortiz got the fifth run across with an RBI single, bringing in Vieira to score as the Mountain Lions led 5-1 going into the third inning.
Roenicke found himself in a jam in the top of the sixth inning as the bases were loaded with two outs. Head coach Don Watkins came out of the dugout to pull his starter from the game.
Roenicke received an ovation from his teammates in the dugout and from the crowd as he exited the game only giving up one run and striking out six Comets hitters.
“We learned from last time that this team, they don’t really do anything with the fastball,” Roenicke said. “Just as long as you keep it low and away, that’s my kind of pitch.”
Trenton Farnham (De Anza No. 34) came into the game and got a Comets hitter to ground out to shortstop Paxton ending the inning.
The next half inning, designated hitter Myles Potter (De Anza No. 26) and McRae on base, Vieira stepped up and hit a three run home run to extend the lead to 9-1.
Taeho Kim (De Anza No. 27) came in to pitch for the seventh inning. He gave up 2 runs as the Comets scored on two balked calls, leading for the runners to advance to home for runs.
The Mountain Lions went on to score 3 more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Vieira’s home run was not the only home run in the game.
McRae hit a 2-run home run, extending the lead to 10-3.
“It was middle, middle, slow and just right down the middle,” McRae said. “It was a perfect pitch to hit out.”
The Mountain Lions scored for the last time in the bottom of the eighth inning with an run batted in single from Paxton.
Ty Navarro (De Anza No. 21) finished the game, getting a Comet’s hitter looking at strike three for the final out as the Mountain Lions won 14-3.
“Great bounceback game, the boys put up a lot of runs today, so hopefully we just keep that moving forward,” McRae said.
“They had an approach, they stuck to it and that’s what happens when they stick to their approach,” Watkins said.
Watkins spoke about the Feb. 27 matchup against the Ohlone Renegades, who he previously coached.
“Screw them, we want to beat them,” Watkins said. “You have to have that mentality.”
