Badgers open season with four diamond wins

Mike Hackworth

(Updated: Thursday, March 11, 2010, 12:50 PM)

Foul weather delays start of season

After the rain forced rescheduling of several games, the Yosemite Badgers boys baseball team finally got a game in on Thursday with McLane at Central High School's field.

The weekend schedule is part of the 11th annual Central Classic tournament, formerly the Hiro Nishikawa Classic Baseball tournament, in Fresno. The tournament, which takes up much of the preseason for Yosemite, is played over 10 days on the participating school's diamonds.

Yosemite 9, McLane 0 at Central High School

The Badgers defeated the Highlanders 11-2 in six innings. The game was called due to darkness.

Yosemite senior Brandon Lundberg was the winning pitcher working three innings. Joe Doering pitched the fourth and fifth innings and Garrett Yoder finished up in relief. Anthony Smith drove a 2-0 pitch into the stands, for his first homerun of the season, in the second inning. The Badgers senior was 3-3 with a triple in the third inning and scored two runs and collected four RBIs.

Yosemite 4, Golden Valley (Merced) 2 at Hanford High School

On Friday, the Badgers played Golden Valley at Hanford West High with the Cougars providing a barometer for the Badgers. The Cougars lost 12 seniors from the 2009 roster, which finished 15-15, but are well coached.

Yosemite led this one from start to finish in seven innings. Yosemite junior Luke Riley was the winning pitcher and junior Brad Rolff pitched the final two innings in relief. Riley aided his cause, hitting a two-out, two run single in the third inning.

Yosemite 13, Reedley 2 at Fresno High School

Saturday morning the Badgers played the first of two games for the day with both games played at Fresno High School.

Lundberg, the Yosemite right-hander (1-0) started against the Pirates. Lundberg threw all seven innings, winning his second game of the season. Lundberg went all the way for his second victory of the season, giving up two runs and striking out six. The stocky pitcher also clubbed his first homer of the season, driving in a pair of runs in the seventh inning.

Yosemite 6, Fresno 2 at Fresno High School

In game two, the Badgers faced the host team, Fresno. The game was tied at 1-1 and 2-2 before the Badgers put up four runs in the fourth inning for all the runs they would need. Garrett Yoder, returning from a serious leg injury, made his first start of the season with Doering coming in in the sixth inning in relief.

Riley scored twice and drove in a run with a base on balls and a single.

The Badgers were supposed to play on Tuesday, Wednesday and today, but scores were not available at press time.