Colton, CA—Colton tried to shake off a difficult loss in their first game of the season against Riverside Poly when they took on Carter yesterday at home. However, despite playing better baseball overall, the Yellowjackets still came up short, losing to the Lions, 5-2.

After a strong showing in the first inning with two runs, Colton got shut down by Carter’s defense. The Yellowjackets showed promise at multiple points during the game, but everytime they looked to put together some runs, Carter came up with a strong play.

For the Yellowjackets, Julian Rocha played well, going 2-for-3 with a double during the first inning that drove in Azael Hernandez.

On the mound, Andy Navarrete got the start and pitched 2-⅔ innings, giving up 3 runs to the Lions. Steven Aguayo had a strong showing in relief, pitching out the rest of the game and surrendering only 2 additional runs.

The game remained tied at 2-2 going into the top of the third, when the Lions took the advantage on a wild pitch by Navarrete. Colton found themselves in a deeper hole going into the bottom of the fourth after giving up 2 more runs.

But they fought back. Navarrete earned a walk, but was out at second when Andrew Montes hit into a fielder’s choice. Hernandez came to plate and hit a shot to left field that looked like it might do some damage. But Carter’s left fielder made a spectacular play, getting a rare double play at second base.

The loss is Colton’s second of the season. They will continue play today on the road against Canyon Springs in Moreno Valley. Game time is 3:15 p.m.