Late rally lifts Whitney over Del Oro

Thursday's Sierra Foothill League baseball matchup between Whitney and Del Oro quickly turned into a test of resilience, and it was the Wildcats that delivered. Trailing 6-2, host Whitney erupted for eight runs over the final two innings to rally past Del Oro 10-7, clinching a series win to open Sierra Foothill League play. "We never wavered," senior Carson Floyd said. "We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we flipped the switch and came together and got it done." After Del Oro (5-5-1 overall, 1-2 SFL) built its lead with a three-run fourth and a two-run fifth, Whitney (4-4, 2-1) answered immediately and with little time to spare. Sophomore Mason Harris jumpstarted the rally with a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth, cutting the deficit to 6-5 and injecting life into the Wildcats' dugout. An inning later, Whitney took control for good. Floyd sparked the sixth-inning surge with a tying RBI single that shifted momentum back in Whitney's favor. Gavyn Dulaney followed with a two-RBI single to give the Wildcats the lead, and a Del Oro error moments later added a run as Whitney suddenly led 10-7. "Hitting is contagious," Floyd said. "The guys before me kept having good at-bats, and I just got confidence from them to do what I did." Floyd noted the Wildcats didn't try to do too much offensively when trailing, they simply stayed aggressive, stayed together and waited for the game to turn. "We controlled what we could control," Watt said. "Kept the energy up and had some really clutch hitting. That's big for us." Whitney totaled nine hits, capitalizing on five walks and multiple Del Oro miscues late. The Wildcats also overcame their own defensive struggles, as the teams combined for nine errors. For a young Whitney team still finding itself, Thursday's win was as much about growth as it was the result. "We're a young team, a lot of juniors," Whitney coach Jackson Watt said. "It's good to see them starting to come together and figure out how to play varsity baseball." Watt said the young team is growing more comfortable with each other every game and are getting used to the pace of play at the varsity level. He said Thursday's game was an indication of the growth his team has shown both in response to losing the first game of the series and bouncing back from early fielding mishaps. After scoring just three runs in Monday's series-opening loss, Whitney bounced back with 22 runs across the final two games. "We just came together," Dulaney said of Whitney's offense. "The energy in the dugout is great right now. We're fighting. We're putting balls in play, and when you do that, good things happen." Floyd led the way at the top of the lineup, going 3 for 3 with three runs, two RBIs and a triple, consistently setting the table for Whitney's offense. Harris delivered the biggest swing of the day with his homer and finished with a team-high four RBIs. The Wildcats also received a steady effort on the mound with Lucas O'Neill pitching five innings before Kenny Lunn closed the door over the final two frames. O'Neill constantly battled back and kept the Wildcats in the mix, striking out six despite giving up six runs, three earned. Lunn earned the win in relief, striking out one and allowing two hits. Del Oro's Brody Coxen had a strong start, striking out eight in four innings while allowing two runs on two hits and three walks. Jackson Stewart led the Golden Eagles with three hits and an RBI. The result is an early statement in SFL play, especially between two teams that are expected to be battling in the league standings and fighting in playoff seeding. Floyd said he believes the momentum from the series win will carry into next week as the Wildcats face Granite Bay. "It's huge," Floyd said. "It gives us a lot of motivation. We just want to keep moving forward and take two steps forward, not one step back."