For the spring sports season, The Accolade plans to introduce new coverage by producing a recap of the Lancers’ or Lady Lancers’ first league game/match of the season; if the team advances to CIF playoffs, the Sports editors will decide at which point to pick up coverage of that sport.
In their first league game of the season, the Lancers tried to rebound from a 1-4 non-league record but failed to capture their second victory, losing 5-2 at home to Sonora (5-3 overall).
“We got off to a really slow start,” first-year head coach Dylan Kuhn said the day after the Monday, March 10, game. “Our focus is just on being ready to go from the first pitch and not waiting three or four innings to really get our offense going.”
Kuhn went with junior Dylan Erickson as his starting pitcher, but he appeared shaky as he gave up three runs to the Raiders in the first inning.
“He had a rough first inning, but once he settled in, he gave us another four-plus innings and competed on every pitch,” he said. “That’s really all we can ask for from our pitchers.”
The Lancers remained shut out for the first two innings. But by the bottom half of the third inning, centerfielder junior Mateo Ramirez drove in the Lancers’ first two runs of the game.
“It was just a feeling of relief because I knew my boys had my back,” Ramirez said. “I could go up there and get the job done for my boys.”
But after that, Sonora’s pitcher settled down and finished off the Lancers on his own, preventing the home team from scoring again even though the Lancers had their chances.
“We had a few other baserunners in the last few innings,” the head coach said. “But we just couldn’t push them across.”
The Lancers kept the game close, down by only one point until the last inning.
“I thought we were in it the whole game,” outfielder senior Evan Sung said. “There was never a time where we felt like it wasn’t a winnable game.”
Erickson eventually got replaced during the sixth inning after he ran into trouble by giving up more hits to fill the bases, Kuhn said.
“Dylan will absolutely get more opportunities,” the head coach said. “In baseball, it’s not possible to use the same pitcher due to rules and injury risk, but he will absolutely be back out there when it is his turn in the rotation again.”
Despite the team’s loss in its debut North Hills League game, Kuhn said he appreciated the turnout.
“The more the merrier when it comes to fan support,” he said.
The Lancers will look for their first league win against Esperanza, which, at 0-1 in the league, will also be doing the same during the SH home game on Monday, March 24, at 3:15 p.m.
