Trailing by four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Catalina Foothills dugout was too quiet.
An assistant coach knocked down all eight of the bats that were leaning on the fence in a joking fashion and shouted “Let's wake these bats up!”
The Falcons then erupted for seven runs to earn its first win of the young season, 7-5 over Casa Grande Vista Grande in the Cowboy Up Classic Friday night at the Kino Sports Complex.
“I was just thinking 'I don't want to lose another game,' ” sophomore Dante DeNiro said. “I just kind of took the role as a leader and wanted us to get up as a team and start playing as a team.”
DeNiro began the bottom of the fourth with a single to center field. Two batters later, junior Fernando Gonzalez followed with a two-run double to center. Senior Ryan Kaufman added a run with an RBI single and starting pitcher Sam Alberts doubled to left field to tie the game at 4-4.
“Getting this first win is going to steer our team in the right direction,” DeNiro said. “I think this victory will help motivate us more for the year. We got our first win and now it's time to compete.”
Alberts labored in the first inning, tossing 30 pitches and surrendering three runs, two of which were unearned. Though the Spartans got to Alberts for nine hits and four runs, the junior eventually settled into a groove.
DeNiro tripled home senior Chandler Thomas in the fifth inning for the go-ahead run. The Falcons added two more runs to close out the frame.
DeNiro came out from behind the plate to close the game, earning his first save of the season. He needed just 11 pitches to get the final three outs.
“It's what we expect,” Catalina Foothills coach Jim Baldwin said. “Dante is in the three-hole because he wants to be an elite player, and that's what elite players do.”
