Christopher ended a five-game losing streak thanks to a breakout offensive effort to beat Sobrato, 10-5 at Gavilan College.
“Today was a good solid day for us. We were able to put some things together and hopefully we can keep it rolling,” said coach Ryan Dequin.
All of the Cougars’ runs came in the same inning Sobrato scored.
The Bulldogs opened the game with a pair of runs, CHS answered with five. Sobrato scored twice more in the third to pull within one and Christopher plated four more. When the Bulldogs scored once in the fifth, the Cougars scored once more in the bottom half of the inning.
All nine starters either scored a run or drove one in, going a collective 8-24 with six walks.
Sobrato, meanwhile, likewise had eight hits and seven productive at bats with runners in scoring position, including a pair of walks. The Bulldogs were just 3-12 with runners in scoring position, but had five productive outs.
“I knew this was going to be a tough game. This is a really offensive field with the wind and then how hard the field plays. I figured it was going to be a game where we were going to have to win 9-7 or something like that.”
Christopher, however, was just a little bit better offensively.
Andrei Arroyo led things with a home run in the third inning that sparked a two-out rally
“That was crazy. I never saw one of his before. He hit that perfect,” said Brennan Wilson, who had doubled in the first and tripled following Arroyo’s homerun.
Arroyo sparked a two out rally that featured Gordan Papalias scoring from second on a passed ball that led to an error.
Brennan Wilson then tripled to score Ralphy Ortega and came home on a single from Richard Suarez.
“Our whole lineup, one through nine, has been coming through in different situations and picking each other up,” Dequin said. “It’s been the same as always, Ralphy Ortega Ricky Suarez today swung the bat pretty well and got some hits and RBIs and a couple stolen bases.”
Wilson was 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, hitting a double and a triple.
On the hill, both teams were trying to save their pitchers for a return to league play.
Christopher’s starter Nathan Bonsell threw a single inning, being pulled after giving up two runs on two hits and facing just five hitters.
“He was getting his bullpen work in today, so he got his inning in and we got a couple other guys in who needed to get some work in as well,” Dequin said.
The Cougars used four pitchers with Andreu Bartholic going the longest throwing three and two thirds to earn the win. He gave up one run on three hits and two walks with three punch outs.
“All year, one of our main problems has been staying in the zone, throwing strikes, getting ahead as pitchers and staying ahead. We did it again today, but there are some kids who are making improvements,” Dequin said. “We are starting to figure out what we need to do to be solid pitchingwise.”
Sobrato’s starter, Marcus Valcarcel, lasted just two and two thirds as coach Erik Wagle didn’t want to over extend his pitchers going too deep into a pitch count.
“I was real careful who we used and for how many innings. No one was going to go over three innings, max,” Wagle said.
Valcarcel yielded nine runs, eight earned, on seven hits and five walks.
Marcus Alipaz settled things down, going two and a third, giving up an unearned run on one hit and no walks with two strikeouts.
Nick Giordano led the way for Sobrato, going 2-4 with a triple and a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Alejandro Torres followed with two RBIs and a run scored.
Christopher will next host Scotts Valley on Wednesday starting at 4 p.m. After ending its five-game losing streak, Christopher will be hoping to make it two in a row.
“All you can do is play one game and look to the next one after that one is done. So we won this game and hopefully we can take it to the next one,” Wilson said.
Meanwhile, Sobrato will remain on the road Wednesday, traveling to Branham for a 4 p.m. game.
