Los Banos baseball pounces on Pacheco mistakes

Pat Fuentes emphasizes jumping on opponents early.

The Los Banos baseball coach believes he’s pieced together a championship squad this season and has stressed being opportunistic when teams put themselves in bad spots.

“We don’t want pressure on us late in games if we can help it,” Fuentes said. “We keep preaching to the kids if teams give us a chance to get out on them early, we have to take advantage. It’s what good teams do.”

The Tigers followed the formula perfectly in Wednesday’s Western Athletic Conference opener with crosstown rival Pacheco. A pair of two-out throwing errors opened the door for Los Banos to score three times in the first inning, and the Tigers kept the pressure on, cruising to a 12-0 victory in five innings.

The Panthers (2-4, 0-1 WAC) have struggled with giving opponents extra outs.

Los Banos (6-2, 1-0 WAC) became the latest team to benefit from this when a two-out throwing error on a routine ground ball gave it life. Vinny Greco singled in a run and James Bostick tripled in another as LB raced to a 3-0 lead.

“I keep telling the kids that we’re not the kind of team that can be giving away extra outs, especially against a good team like Los Banos,” Pacheco coach Chauncey Lee said. “These kids have played against each other all their lives, and we rush a throw against a kid they know doesn’t get down the line very well.

“All of a sudden they have three runs when it should have been a 1-2-3 inning.”

Pacheco had plenty of opportunities to chip away at the lead. The Panthers got the leadoff man aboard in four of the five innings and at least one man on base in every inning.

Los Banos starter Josh Gould seemed to be at his best with runners on, however. The right-hander side-stepped runners on third in three of the first four innings to keep the Tigers in front. Pacheco finished the game 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position with the only hit coming on a bunt single.

“I just think it’s my mental approach,” said Gould, who struck out seven in 41/3 innings pitched. “I just focus a little more when guys get on. Today I hit my spots and was able to throw my offspeed stuff for strikes.”

Gould cashed in a triple by Chris Corral (2 for 3, double) with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 after three, and the Tigers put the game away in the fourth. Los Banos sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring eight times to take a 12-0 lead. Brevin Welch had the biggest blow with a two-run double.

The senior then came on in relief with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth to record the final two outs and preserve the shutout.

The two squads will conclude the home-and-home series on Friday at Pacheco.

This story was originally published March 18, 2015 at 10:19 PM with the headline "Los Banos baseball pounces on Pacheco mistakes."