Mack opens season with sweep of Willits
The defending H-DNL Big 5 Conference champs started their season off like such.
Cameron Saso went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in game one and pitched a perfect game in the night cap and the McKinleyville High baseball team opened its 2020 campaign with a double-header sweep of visiting Willits Saturday afternoon.
McKinleyville took game one 9-5 before rolling to a 10-0 (6) win behind a memorable performance from the Panthers’ ace.
Saso struck out 10 in six innings in the game two no-no. The perfect game counts as the senior’s first of his varsity career.
Corbin Eichin went 3-for-4 with three RBIs at the dish in game one while Jack Patton tallied two hits and as many RBIs. Austin McConnell went 3-for-3 in the win with an RBI and two runs scored. The Panthers had 13 total hits in the late game.
Eichin, who a year ago as a sophomore came on strong towards the end of the season and produced crucial wins at pitcher amidst what was a fight-to-the finish for the Big 5 crown, started the season opener for the Panthers and didn’t disappoint.
The junior struck out six in four innings while giving up two hits, a walk and one earned run.
The Panthers erased a 1-0 deficit in the third inning of game one with a 5-run outburst, and maintained a multirun lead until the end.
Saso led the way with his two hits and three RBIs. T-Ryan
Stumph had one hit and three RBIs thanks to a 3-run double hit by the junior in the bottom of the third. The hit provided the Panthers their first runs of the game, and the only lead it would need to take.
“We’re a young club, and we’ll need some guys who were role-players a year ago to step up this season and be the guy,” McKinleyville head coach Scott St. John said. “But our pitching is solid, it was last year and it should be this year as well.”
McKinleyville (2-0) posted a 22-4 overall record last season and went 10-2 in the Big 5, edging out Eureka — which finished 9-3 in conference — on the final day of conference play.
The Panthers went on to fall to Eureka 6-4 (9) in extra-innings in the Charles Lakin HDNL Tournament championship game. McKinleyville made it to the North Coast Section Division 4 championship game, where it saw its season end with a 3-0 loss to rival Arcata.