Keythin Thomas is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mesquite High School for AZPreps365.com 

A seven-run inning was the key to victory Wednesday night as Mesquite trounced Willow Canyon in their first game of the season.

The game was back and forth for the first four innings, with the score 5-3 Mesquite entering the bottom half of the fifth inning. Then, Mesquite seemed to settle in and began to take apart Willow Canyon methodically, winning 15-5 in six innings.

Ten straight runners reached base, with five consecutive singles, two reaches on an error, two walks, and two hit-by-pitches, which led to the crooked seven-run inning.

Mesquite head coach Jeff Holland praised his team’s ability to do the little things right in that inning, noting that this type of play sets them apart from other teams. 

“We got to be aggressive. We don’t really have the best team speed, so we have to run the bases correctly. We got to do the little things better than all the teams we play,” he said.

Left-handed senior pitcher Andrew Earle was tasked with leading off the new season for the Wildcats as the starting pitcher.

Earle pitched four innings and struck out six batters. However, he struggled with pitch count, walking eight batters and tallying three balks.

“For me, I need to execute better on my two-strike pitches, doing a better job there, and making sure I’m hitting my curveball on a more consistent pace,” he said.

There were a lot of close calls where a few balls could have been called strikes for Earle, which he noted that he needed to adjust to the tighter strike zone the umpire was giving him.

“There were a lot of outside balls I was missing there. I got to make sure that I could adjust and get it towards the inside more so I could execute that pitch better,” Earle said.

Despite the southpaw's struggles Wednesday, Holland noted that Earle got out of every jam he was in during the game, stranding several runners on base.

“The balks, the walks, we gotta eliminate those, for sure. We put traffic on, but he minimized the damage. He did his job and gave us the opportunity to win the ball game,” Holland said.

Willow Canyon kept its energy high all game, thanks partly to their dugout being extra talkative in the first four innings.

Senior catcher Nathaniel Lebron, who finished the game with two singles and an RBI on a hit-by-pitch, noted how this type of environment is exactly what they need to get used to as the season progresses.

“Last year's playoffs, teams were chatty as well, so it’s very similar to that. You can kind of just let it go. But when it gets a little personal, you have to lock down a little more,” Lebron said.

Earle relied on Lebron Wednesday night when the noise from the Willow Canyon dugout started picking up, allowing him to escape their jams.

“For me, it’s staying locked in with my catcher, simplifying it, and staying mentally prepared. I mentally prepare for stuff like before games, too. It’s just playing catch with my catcher,” Earle said.

Holland was proud of how his team handled the noise and kept his message to the team simple in situations like this.

“We just gotta respond, not react. Let them talk. We’ll talk with our offense and defense. It’s just part of the game, but if we want them to keep quiet, respond, and that’ll shut them up,” he said.