The Pitman Pride varsity baseball team remains undefeated in league after opening their two-game series against Merced High on the winning side in Monday's Central California Conference contest.
Brett Hagen and Brandon Pacheco each added a pair of RBI while starting pitcher Jack Wheeland picked up his third win of the season and the Pride rolled into their fifth straight CCC victory of the year after a 7-2 final.
“The difference was battling out of jams, we had gotten into some jams early on but battled out of it and just putting up a big fourth and seventh and not letting them score,” said Pitman head coach John Acha. “We kept momentum on our side.”
Both were tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning as Wheeland was able to battle out of early trouble, getting the third out on a strikeout with bases loaded on a four-pitch at-bat.
Altogether Wheeland tossed five innings, allowed two runs on four hits, walked four and struck out four.
By the start of the third, Pitman took the lead for the remainder of the game.
Cole Carrigg led off the top of the third with a single and just two batters later Conner Havens drove in Carrigg for the go-ahead run to make it 2-1.
The Pride continued their consistency from the plate in the fourth inning after Hagen drilled a two-run double over the left fielder’s head to extend the lead to 4-1.
Merced added a run in the fifth to make it 4-2 before the Pride erased any doubt with a three-run rally to close it out in the seventh.
Pitman's Gerry Ramos scored the fifth run in the seventh that was followed by a Brandon Pacheco two-run double to close it out.
“When you go out there you never know what you are going to get, so it’s nice,” said Acha of the win.
The Pride have won seven out of their last nine games and improve to 12-7 overall and remain undefeated in league (5-0).
Brett Hagen came in to relieve and went two innings, allowing just two hits and striking out two.
Jordan Lavezzo was 2-for-2 while Mac Cabero went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
As a team, Pitman had eight hits for the game.
The Pride will close out the series with Merced at home at 4 p.m. today.
