Coast Union gains experience but drops two on baseball diamond

Coast Union’s young varsity baseball team lost a pair of home games to the Washington Union Panthers on Saturday, March 12. The score of the first game (originally scheduled for Friday but pushed back to Saturday by rainy weather) was 7-0. The Broncos dropped the second game of the twin bill, 10-5.

Washington Union is a San Joaquin Valley school with about 1,200 students, about five times the size of Coast Union’s enrollment, so head coach Brian Machado was not expecting any miracles. But the games did give his team a chance to get some experience before starting Coast Valley League play, which begins in April.

Machado also had a chance to give his young pitching staff some innings of work, and he was generally pleased with what he saw. In the first game, sophomore Chase Volz worked five innings.

“He’s learning to pick his spots,” Machado said. “He doesn’t throw hard, but he’s going to be hit hard if he doesn’t keep the ball out of the zone.”

Has he improved since his freshman year in 2015?

“Oh yes, he’s stronger than last year, and he’s into the control part of the game. One of these days we’ll get him to learn to rocket fire (throw more fastballs).”

Freshman Beau Burgess came in to pitch the last two innings of the first game.

“He did pretty good, considering he’s a freshman and we just need to work with him on pitching — coming set, holding a runner on first, and maturity,” Machado said.

Commenting on sophomore Riley Kennedy, who started the second game, the coach said: “He’s got pretty good control, and we’ll have to work with him on keeping his pitches on the outside of the zone. He can’t be throwing too good a pitch. Don’t throw it over the plate; they’re looking for that stuff.”

Machado said junior Jack MacKinnon, who came in after Kennedy, also did a good job and just needs more experience, and to learn to mix his fastball with his curve and throw harder as the season moves on.

The Broncos host Avenal High School in a 3:30 p.m. game Thursday, March 17. For those who can’t attend the game, it can be heard on KTEA-FM (103.5), and streams live on www.ktea-fm.com.

Softball

The Coast Union softball squad was defeated 8-1 by Morro Bay High School on Thursday, March 10, at Morro Bay. Reagan Kniffen singled twice and scored the only run for the Lady Broncos on a double by Maddie May. Ellie Magnuson pitched for Coast Union.

Coast’s scheduled Saturday, March 12, game against Washington Union High School was postponed because of poor field conditions following heavy rains March 11.

On Tuesday, March 15, the Lady Broncos defeated Mission Prep in San Luis Obispo by a 3-2 score. It was the second time the Lady Broncos have defeated the Royals this season.

Magnuson handled the pitching chores, and sophomore Ani Corbet singled twice, Alyssa Drew walked, bunted for a hit, and scored a run for Coast Union. May also scored after doubling.

The Royals had the tying run on third in the bottom of the seventh inning but could not score.

The next home game for Coast Union is Thursday, March 17, against Avenal High School at 3:30. p.m.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 8:31 AM with the headline "Coast Union gains experience but drops two on baseball diamond."