As the second half of the baseball season begins a downward run for most teams, Mountain View knows it must finish strong to reach postseason. The Toros made what they hope is a start toward that goal on Thursday by trimming Skyline, 4-1, in a 6A East Valley Region game at Skyline High.

The victory was just the second in the last eight games for Mountain View. The Toros, 21st in the current power rankings and needing to be at least 16th by season's end, were buoyed by the pitching of senior Jackson Thomas and hitting of junior outfielder Willy Roberts. Mountain View improved to 5-6, overall and 3-4 in region. Skyline (8-3, 5-2) began the day in mjuch better position (11th) in the power rankings.

Thomas showed resiliency in his outing. He allowed at least one base runner in every inning. He gave up seven hits, five walks and mixed in seven strikeout. The Toros defense behind him was solid - an error-less game by his teammates who turned two of three double plays while he was ion the hill. Center fielder Ethan Troth gunned down a runner at the plate in the second inning to prevent what would have been the tying run at the time.

Thomas had to be lifted due to reaching the pitch-count limit in the seventh. He walked the first two batters in the seventh and fanned the last batter he faced. He was replaced by junior Gabe Grutzmacher, returned this week from injury. Grutzmacher threw two pitches. The last was a game-ending, double play to earn the save.

Roberts was 3 for 4 at the plate and collected three of Mountain View's eight hits - an RBI single in the first, single in the third and solo home run in the seventh. The out was a bullet at the centerfielder. The Toros left 11 runners on base - 10 in the first five innings.

"We've been struggling lately," Mountain View coach Jesus Arzaga said. "We're just past the halfway point of our season. Our dudes have been fighting. We've played a lot of close games, a lot of one-run games. We can either fold or keep going, and I know our dudes are fighting and in it to win it."

Skyline had chances to score in most innings. The Coyotes left runners at second and third in the first inning. Saw a runner thrown out at home in the second (see above). Hit into a double-play to thwart a rally in the third, and left runners ar first and third in the fifth. Their lone run was scored scored in the fourth inning with Evan Jenkins' ground out bringing home Ryan Mioni. 

"I thought their guy threw really well," Skyline coach Pat Herrera said. "We were able to minimize for the most part with the high pressure innings we faced. We couldn't pick a throw in the first and they got one. Dropped a a pop up (fourth inning) that allowed another. Had the tying run at the plate the last inning, so there was a chance."

The teams are idle the rest of this week. They resume play on Tuesday April 20 facing each other again at 6:30 p.m. at HoHoKam Stadium.