By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com

The Napa Valley College baseball team picked up its first win of the 2024 season on Saturday, March 2, coming from behind and beating host Cosumnes River College, 6-5, in Sacramento.

Napa Valley (1-12 overall) was behind 3-0 in the fifth inning and 4-0 in the seventh inning.

But the Storm rallied, scoring its first run of the game in the eighth inning, followed by a five-run ninth inning, to give Derek Mayer his first win as Napa Valley's head coach.

"In the end, in the ninth inning, it was pretty cool," said Mayer. "It was definitely a joyous moment."

Napa Valley was held to four hits and left 11 runners on base, but it made the most of its opportunities.

Vincent Lencioni scored on a balk in the eighth inning for the Storm.

And then in the ninth inning, Owen Nelson drove in a run on a bases-loaded walk and Peyton McGowen walked, driving in a run with the bases loaded.

Cole Van Stone singled up the middle, driving in McGowen and Nelson. Lencioni also scored, as Cosumnes River was charged with a throwing error at the plate.

"We ended up taking advantage of it. We ended up capitalizing on just kind of a big, big moment," said Mayer.

Cosumnes River (11-7 overall), which plays in the Big 8 Conference, came back with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Cosumnes River left two runners on base to end the game.

"The guys just kind of stepped up and played their role, and we got the job done," said Mayer.

"We had our moments throughout the game, to really kind of break it open. Offensively, we were walking and we were getting on base."

Napa Valley's hits came from Lencioni (1-for-3, two runs scored), Nelson (1-for-3, run, RBI), William Tokar (1-for-4), and Van Stone (1-for-4, two RBIs).

Raisean Avila-Dorsey, McGowen and Christian Hernandez each scored a run for NVC.

NVC batters walked nine times and struck out 10 times against Cosumnes River pitching.

Napa Valley turned two double plays and got solid pitching from Seth Vazquez, the starter, who went seven innings, and Kyle Worden, who earned the win, with two innings of relief.

Vazquez faced 31 batters and allowed nine hits and four runs (three earned), walked one and struck out one.

Worden gave up one hit and one run (earned), walked two and struck out two. Worden faced nine batters.

"They are two of the most consistent pitchers right now," said Mayer. "Seth pitched a great game. That was by far the sharpest he's looked all season. He threw a solid seven innings for us. Kyle came in and closed it out.

"The pitching staff is going to come around and be a lot more competitive come (Bay Valley) Conference."

The rainy weather in January, February and March has forced the NVC team to have its practices indoors and to use other facilities, and to also play its games on the road.

"There's been a lot of adversity, but we haven't wanted to make it an excuse. We don't want to give ourselves excuses," said Mayer. "We're just going to make the best of it. It's just one of those things you kind of have to accept. You can't change the weather."

Earlier in the week, Napa Valley lost to host Ohlone College, 36-6, in a nonconference game on Feb. 27 in Fremont.

Ohlone scored six runs in the first inning, three in the second inning, 15 runs in the third inning, five in the fifth, four in the seventh, and three in the ninth.

Ohlone had 34 hits – including three home runs and 11 doubles.

Napa Valley struck out 10 times, left nine runners on base, and was charged with three errors.

Nelson was the Storm's top hitter, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.

Also, with hits were Avila-Dorsey (1-for-5, double), Lencioni (1-for-3), Tokar (1-for-2, double), and Renaud Austin (1-for-2).

Hernandez and Amari Sawhney each had an RBI.

Pitching for the Storm was Worden, Vazquez, Nigel Clay, Diego Balderas Utrera, Khyler Cabebe, Van Stone, Jorge Lopez-Rios and McGowen.

NVC pitching walked 12 batters and struck out three.

NVC's next game is Tuesday, March 5, at Los Medanos College-Pittsburg, at 2 p.m.

* Marty James is a freelance writer who makes his home in Napa. He retired on June 4, 2019 after spending 40 years as a sports writer, sports editor and executive sports editor for the Napa Valley Register, a daily newspaper in Napa County. He is a 1979 graduate of Sacramento State and a member of the California Golf Writers & Broadcasters Association. He was inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2016, the Vintage High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and the Napa High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.