After dropping both its games against number one seed Buhach Colony High last week, the Pitman High baseball team rebounded with a sweep over Atwater High on Thursday. The Pride hosted the Falcons in their final matchup of the week, notching a 5-2 victory.
The Pride controlled much of the game with Tyler Arnsberg on the mound. Atwater scored a run early in the first inning but failed to do much else after that. Meanwhile, Pitman put the bat on the ball often, scoring three runs in the first inning and another in the second.
After throwing Atwater’s Dominic Dalmaso out at home plate in the top of the third inning, Pitman responded with its final run of the day in the bottom of the third. From there the Pride used their defense to keep the Falcons at bay — save for an Atwater run in the fourth inning.
“Baseball’s a funny game,” Pitman’s head coach Mick Tate said. “Sometimes you catch fire.”
Atwater nearly lit up the scoreboard in the final inning of the game. With Arnsberg out after the fourth inning with a sore elbow and Jordon Gonzalez on the mound, the Falcons found themselves with the bases loaded. Fortunately for the Pride, Gonzalez delivered the heat and sent Atwater home with its second loss of the week.
“We’re really happy with the two wins we got, but we’re swimming upstream right now,” Tate said.
Pitman now sits in third place in the Central California Conference, one game behind second place Merced High. The victories over Atwater has given the Pride much needed confidence as they prepare for a pair of games against rival Turlock High next week.
“Turlock has a good set of guys. I think it’s going to come down to pitching,” Tate said. “It’s going to be a fun week and we’re looking forward to it. We’re expecting a battle.”
The Pride, who has struggled with inconsistent play since the beginning of league action, will have to relax and loosen up if they are to find success against the Bulldogs. Arnsberg is expected to be ready to hit the mound for Thursday’s cross town matchup and Damian Sousa-Johnson is set to start on Tuesday. Turlock sits in fourth place in the CCC standings, one game behind Pitman.
