The 2019 season hasn’t began as the Moorpark Raiders envisioned it after a 0-3 start.
Sophomore starting pitcher Cameron Weitz believes the team will correct their mistakes and get back to winning soon.
“We just gotta keep working hard,” Weitz said. “We all have the talent and can do it so we’ll get there.”
The season began with a three-game series against the Bakersfield Renegades. The first two games of the series were played on the road in Bakersfield.
In game one, the Raiders were shut out by the Renegades in a game that ended in a 1-0 defeat. Freshman Caden Gustafson got the start and pitched seven innings while allowing one run and six hits.
Game two didn’t go in favor of the Raiders either. The game finished in a 7-3 defeat. Sophomore Jordan Berg got the start at pitcher but was removed early in the game. Berg pitched 3.1 innings while allowing six runs and three hits.
The Raiders scored three runs in the top of the ninth but it wasn’t enough due to the deficit they had dug themselves into earlier in the game.
The series shifted to Moorpark College on Tuesday, Jan. 29. The Raiders were hoping that a change of scenery would help them earn their first win of the season.
However, that was not the case. The Renegades got the best of the Raiders once again, defeating them 7-3.
The Raiders had jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning after sophomore outfielder Jason Hyman hit an RBI single that drove in freshman infielder Cameron Kinsner to score. Then, freshman outfielder Zach Nissim drove in two more runs with a 2-RBI single that brought in freshman infielder Nick Johnson and Hyman.
Weitz entered the third inning with a three run cushion, however it didn’t stay for long as the Renegades scored two runs in the top of the third inning.
He went on to pitch six innings while allowing three runs on six hits. In the process, he also struck out six batters while only walking one batter.
Weitz was pulled after finishing the sixth inning by striking out the final hitter with the bases loaded. He kept his composure and made sure to not allow any more runs before leaving the game.
“Those guys are really good hitters,” Weitz said. “It’s a nervous situation but you definitely gotta stay confident and trust yourself.”
Matt Rodriguez was the next pitcher to make an appearance in the game. Rodriguez was the player awarded with the loss after the Renegades scored four in the top of the sixth off of costly errors.
Head coach Mario Porto attributed the loss to errors and leaving runners on base.
“It was more of a mental loss than anything else with the errors,” Porto said. “And when you got guys in scoring position you need to get them in and we didn’t do that.”
Regardless of their 0-3 record to start the season, the team is still very confident that they’ll get back on the right track
“We just need to keep working because I know we have the ingredients to do well,” Porto said. “It’s a process so after playing these first three games, we found out what we need to work on.”
Nissim believes the team will get back on the right track by sticking to their routine.
“We just got to play our game,” Nissim said. “We’re definitely capable of a lot more.”
The Raiders next chance to get their first win of the season will be on Friday, Feb. 1 when they play against the El Camino Warriors.
To keep up with the Raiders this season, their schedule can be found on the Moorpark College athletics website.
