Paloma Valley baseball team remains undefeated at 10-0

Jake Wells rounds third base before scoring on a base hit for Paloma Valley. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)

By Paige Mendez, Correspondent

The Paloma Valley baseball team remained undefeated at 10-0 with a 9-5 win over Murrieta Valley at home Monday afternoon.

The Nighthawks were the first to get on the board with two runs scoring on a single and groundout before Paloma’s starting pitcher Jacob Melendez threw another groundout to end the top of the first.

Leadoff hitter and center fielder Chapman Weber took the second pitch he saw out of the park and got his team on the board – something that, according to his coach Jason Berni, made all the difference in the game.

“Talk about a key at-bat,” Berni said. “We had just given up two runs and the fact that we came back and responded in the bottom of the first says a lot about our team.”

Catcher Joey Davis agreed.

“Without that home run to give us that momentum, I don’t know if we would have won this ballgame,” he said.

But the homer was just the beginning.

Davis and Melendez both had RBI’s in the same inning to give the Wildcats the lead. A sacrifice fly from Ayden Harrison added another run to that in the bottom of the second.

Melendez continued to battle from the mound, especially after a two-run home run from Murrieta Valley with no outs. He threw a strikeout in the next at bat and a double play two batters later to give Paloma a fresh start in the bottom of the third inning with a tie game.

The Wildcats took advantage of the fresh start and got four runs on four hits in the third, gaining the 8-4 lead. Junior shortstop Brayden Bessette accounted for one of those four hits, and was another batter that his coach noted as a highlight of the game.

“Bessette hasn’t had all the playing time this season, but he started at shortstop for us and had a great day with his three hits,” Berni said.

Bessette said the game was a good reassurance for him and the work he has put in.

“It’s nice that you can get the results when you put in the work,” Bessette said. “It’s nice to have the work noticed and finally get the opportunity to show what I’ve been working on.”

Bessette was one of three players with three hits in the game (Weber and Davis included) and finished with two runs and one RBI as well.

The Wildcats and Nighthawks had one more run each in the fourth and fifth innings, but Paloma relief pitcher Brody Smearer got the win on the day and finished the last two innings with six straight outs in six batters.

Berni said he was happy with the win, but would have liked to continue the offensive performance through the fifth and sixth innings.

“I spoke with my team about finishing strong,” he said. “We need to play pitch-by-pitch, so whatever has already occurred in the game no longer matters. We need to be a little more disciplined.”

Disciplined or not, the Wildcats finished with nine runs on 14 hits and one error, and, maybe most notably, a still perfect record.

Davis said he and his team are focused on the future of the program.

“It’s good to just keep moving it forward,” he said. “Don’t doubt us; we’re coming for it all.”

Their next stop is a trip across town for their rivalry game at Heritage on Friday at 3:15 p.m.

Infielder Brayden Bessette reaches for a throw on a stolen base attempt. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)

 Brody Smearer of the Wildcats delivers a pitch during Monday's game. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)

 First baseman Jaxon Baker is just late with the tag on a pickoff attempt. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)

Third baseman Ayden Harrison prepares to throw to first on a ground ball. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)