Colton opens conference play with victory over Rim, 15-4
Huge 1st and 4th innings propel Colton to huge victory; Valdivia hits first home run of season
Raymond Ramirez slaps a double during the third inning of the Yellowjackets 15-4 victory over Rim of the World.
Colton, CA—Behind five solid innings from starting pitcher Raymond Ramirez and a three-hit, three-run performance from third baseman Juan Valdivia, the Colton Yellowjackets put together a dominating 15-4 victory over Rim of the World for their first Arrowhead Conference win of the 2022 season.
It was a shaky start for Ramirez, who gave up two runs in the first inning after recording the first two outs, but once he settled down, he pitched three scoreless innings, recording three strikeouts.
“First inning I got down on myself a little bit when they scored,” said Ramirez. “Next inning, my teammates picked me up.”
His teammates certainly did. Colton’s lineup exploded for six runs in the first inning, beginning with Damian Valdez’s lead off double that started the avalanche of offense. Valdivia got his first of three hits, driving in Valdez. Isaac Bustillos also knocked in his first of three hits, and was brought home by catcher Anthony Corral, who smacked a three-run double to center field.
“I’m just doing me,” Corral said. The catcher also played a controlled game behind the plate, calling all the pitches, and not giving up a wild pitch.
In the fourth inning, Colton refused to let off the gas, putting up another five runs. Doubles by Donovan Mendoza, Valdivia, and Isaiah Colunga kept the game out of Rim’s reach.
That didn’t stop Rim from trying to stage a comeback. They put up two runs in the top of the fifth on a tired Ramirez. But when Valdivia came up in the bottom of the fifth, he answered back with a huge solo shot to deep center field.
“I felt it right off the bat,” Valdivia said. “It was a fastball right down the middle and I didn’t miss it.”
A two run single by Julian Rocha put the Yellowjackets ahead by 11 runs, ending the game early. CIF rules stipulate if a team is ahead by 10 or more runs after five innings of the seven inning game, the game is to be called.
Manager Scott Mendoza was glad to see the strong performance from his team. He was particularly happy for Ramirez, who “had two tough starts” previously. “We decided to give him the ball today at home to see if he could bounce back, and he did.”
The Yellowjackets are now 4-3 on the season, and 3-0 at home. “We feel comfortable hitting here,” Mendoza said. “We had three ground rule doubles today and one got hit out. Corral got some good hits today, as well.”
Colton returns to the diamond on Thursday to face Bloomington High in a San Andreas League matchup. Prior to that game will be the ribbon cutting ceremony for the baseball stadium, which was postponed last year due to the COVID pandemic.
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