The De Anza College men’s baseball team took on the visiting Contra Costa College Comets, winning 10-2, improving to a 3-11 overall record on Feb. 25.

This is the first time this season the team won at its home field.

“They worked hard and we’ve had some close ones,” Head coach Don Watkins said. “We finally pulled it off today.”

Center fielder Xavier Pateli (De Anza No. 7), 21, liberal arts major, stepped up to the plate in a 2-2 game in the fourth inning and hit an RBI triple off the center field wall to give De Anza the lead.

“I’ve struggled with adversity and everything at the plate,” Pateli said. “I feel like everything came together today.”

Pateli went 3-for-4 with a single, double and triple, being a homerun shy of the cycle.

De Anza scored five runs in the seventh inning, adding some insurance runs highlighted by right fielder Christian Wenks’ (De Anza No. 26) two run double and third baseman Joe Dyer’s (De Anza No. 10) two run single to extend the lead to 8-2.

“I had to challenge them in the last few innings to get those runs because this was getting too close,” said Watkins, “They answered the call.”

The Mountain Lions scored in the eighth inning extending the lead to 10-2 and putting the game out of reach for the Comets.

Relief pitcher Tommy Castro (De Anza No. 20) 19, business major, entered the game in the fourth inning and pitched until the end, closing the game out.

“Usually, I go out there like it’s 0-0 every pitch (and) act like every pitch wins the game,” said Castro, “The score didn’t bother me in the end.”

Castro struck out six Comets in the four innings he pitched.

Second baseman Drew Paxton walked five times in the game, scoring three runs.

De Anza has five games left until its first conference game on March 10 against Skyline College.

“We’re going to go against teams that are going to be good,” Watkins said. “I’m just looking for us to go out and compete and have fun at the end of the day.”