Calaveras baseball finds no luck against Amador

SUTTER CREEK – When it came to pitching, hitting and defense, the Calaveras High School baseball team couldn’t find a way to get any of it going. After picking up a 7-4 road win over the Wildcats March 19 in Sonora, Calaveras was unable to keep its momentum going against the Amador Buffaloes.

Calaveras pitching gave up nine runs. Its defense committed seven errors and offensively, Calaveras could only plate one runner in a 9-1 loss Friday afternoon.

“We were bad in all three areas,” said Calaveras head coach Tom DeLappe. “It was an overall bad game.”

Friday’s Mother Lode League matchup had a different feel for Calaveras than most of its games. For one, the starting time was moved from 4 p.m. to noon, in order to avoid the incoming rain. Calaveras was also the home team, but was playing on Amador’s field. Those factors, plus still being in the middle of spring break, all were issues that Calaveras could not overcome.

“It’s a combination of a few things,” DeLappe said. “You’ve got the break from school and we are playing here in the morning, which they are not used to playing. It was a home game on the road, which is going to be something we are going to have to overcome. Those factors all lead into it.”

Calaveras senior Logan Weatherby takes a rip Friday afternoon against Amador.Enterprise photo by Guy Dossi

Calaveras was in trouble from the very first batter of the game. Starting pitcher Tristan Wilson walked the leadoff batter and then surrendered a double and hit a batter to load the bases. Wilson walked the fourth batter of the inning to bring home a run. Amador then got an RBI single to lead 2-0 with the bases still loaded and no outs.

Wilson was able to limit the damage as he got a lineout to second base, followed by a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.

Amador scored its third run of the game in the top of the second with a two-out RBI double. The run that scored was on base as a result of a walk. In the top of the third, Wilson gave up a solo home run and walked another batter before being pulled with one away in the inning. Wilson took the loss, pitching 2.1 innings, giving up four runs on two hits, while walking four and striking out two.

Calaveras’ Marco Marcelino takes a lead off of first base. Enterprise photo by Guy Dossi

“Our starting pitching has not been good,” DeLappe said. “We aren’t throwing strikes and we’ve got to fix that, or we’ve got to get new starters. That just takes you right out of the game.”

Although Calaveras wasn’t scoring runs, it was able to put people on base. The first, second, third and fourth innings all ended with at least one runner stranded on base. Calaveras couldn’t figure out an answer to Amador’s starting sophomore pitcher, Jacob Watson.

“We were having bad approaches today and were not making adjustments,” DeLappe said. “He (Watson) was just throwing fastballs over the plate and not much of a curveball. It just wasn’t a very good effort at the plate. We’ve been swinging the bats pretty well coming into this, so today was a pretty big disappointment. But, it’s just one game.”

Starting pitcher Tristan Wilson delivers for Calaveras. Enterprise photo by Guy Dossi

Amador scored two times in the top of the fourth and three more times in the top of the sixth to lead 9-0. In the bottom of the sixth, Calaveras was finally able to put a run on the board. Marco Marcelino led off with a double to left. He advanced to third and with two outs, senior Zack Nordahl smacked a single into center to score Marcelino for Calaveras’ only run of the game.

Marcelino finished the day going 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored. Sophomore Clayton Moore had a single and stole a base. Tyler Smith went 1 for 2 with a stolen base. Nordahl knocked in Calaveras’ lone run and also stole a bag. And sophomore Karson Kirk went 1 for 3 with a double.

Calaveras (1-1 MLL) will try to get back into the win column as it faces Argonaut on March 26 and Summerville on March 29. Both games are on the road.

“I expect that we’ll hit better,” concluded DeLappe. “We are a decent hitting club; we were just flat. But honestly, it all starts on the mound. Our pitches need to compete, they need to throw strikes and they have to give you a chance to win. And we didn’t have that chance today.”

Calaveras sophomore Clayton Moore steals second against Amador. Enterprise photo by Guy Dossi

Junior varsity

Calaveras’ JV team beat Amador 13-6. Andy Rios pitched six innings and Chris Maddock recorded three hits in the win.

Sophomore Karson Kirk pitches in relief against Amador. Enterprise photo by Guy Dossi