MODESTO — The Pitman High baseball team’s first game of the 41st Windemuth Classic on Tuesday morning was one the Pride wanted to forget immediately. And they did that, judging by how they recovered in the second game just hours later.
After losing 10-2 to Downey High, the Pride had an impressive showing against Redwood Christian High. What changed?
Pitman coach Mick Tate said it was because his players stepped up their game against superstar senior pitcher A.J. Vanegas, who’s heading to Stanford next season. The Pride lost 2-1, leaving a good feeling though it wasn’t the ideal outcome.
Tate said he liked his team’s competitiveness. Kevin Walker, not one the Pride’s usual starters, had a good showing on the mound, pitching “extremely well” through six innings before being pulled.
“The kids stepped up once they realized who the kid was,” he said of Vanegas, whose fastballs exceed 90 mph.
The Pride (12-6 overall) were down 2-0 against Redwood Christian before scoring a run in the sixth inning.
Pitman is 1-2 in the Windemuth Classic and will play again Thursday, though the Pride won’t know the time and opponent until today.
To contact Chhun Sun, e-mail at csun@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2041.