By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com

There is a lot that Napa Valley College is playing for as it enters the final week of its 2024 spring baseball season.

There are all the positives and bright spots that first-year coach Derek Mayer will be looking to see the Storm try and attain.

There is a three-game losing streak that the Storm will be looking to erase.

There are five days for the Storm to continue putting in all the work they possibly can.

There is a season-ending series against Solano Community College that starts on Tuesday in Fairfield.

There is also "Sophomore Day," one of the biggest days of the season, with Mayer and his staff taking time to honor and recognize the team's sophomore players on Thursday, April 25.

"Hopefully, we can end the season on a high note," said Mayer. "We've been competing. I know it's tough to lose these kinds of games, these close ballgames. But we've been competing a lot better.

"We could have cleaned some things up. But for the most part, we're playing better baseball. We've still got a lot of improvement, but the future is bright."

Napa Valley concluded a three-game Bay Valley Conference series on Friday, losing 5-2 to Laney College-Oakland at Storm Field. The loss was the third straight for Napa Valley (9-25 overall, 8-10 Bay Valley), which started out the game with a two-run first inning and was ahead early, 2-0.

Laney College went ahead, scoring three runs in the third inning, followed by single runs in the eighth and ninth innings.

The Storm was held to six hits, left 10 runners on base, and was charged with two errors.

"We had our opportunities," said Mayer. "Offensively, we just couldn't quite come through with the big hit and even the score and or even go ahead at the time. They battled, but that's just kind of how baseball is sometimes. The big hits should be celebrated. We were just hoping for that today."

Offsetting the loss was a solid pitching outing from Jorge Lopez-Rios, a freshman right-hander, who went eight innings, allowing six hits and four runs (two earned), walked three, struck out four and hit two batters. Lopez-Rios faced 38 batters, threw 110 pitches and took the loss.

"He competed very well. We're proud of him," said Mayer.

Lopez-Rios did a good job of mixing speeds with three pitches – changeup, curveball, fastball.

"His changeup was on earlier in the game, and then his curveball came around later in the game. We just tried to mix speeds as best as we could. He was doing a good job at spotting his fastball," said Mayer.

Lopez-Rios got nine groundball outs and nine fly-outs. Laney left 11 runners on base.

"Things got kind of rough in the third inning," said Lopez-Rios. "They pieced some things together and got some timely hits. I also felt like I wasn't throwing as many strikes as I wanted to.

"But then later in the game, I felt a lot better. I felt dialed in. Everything was working – my curveball, my changeup, my fastball. If anything, I felt like I was throwing harder later in the game, because I got a better feel for my windup.

"I just feel like we needed to piece some things together. Offensive-wise, we haven't really been able to do that. The last game was kind of the same thing. But you just keep playing. Keep working. Keep grinding."

Temperatures were in the high-60s with sunny conditions for the late-season game.

Napa Valley's two-run first inning was highlighted by Cole Van Stone leading off with a double and scoring on Raisean Avila-Dorsey's RBI double. Avila-Dorsey scored from third base on an infield error.

Napa Valley is tied for fourth place in the conference standings.

The Storm left two runners on in the fifth inning and left the bases loaded in the sixth inning.

"Jorge pitched a great game. We got the early lead. I felt more energy in today's game than the other two games in the series. I think everyone kind of felt like we had a chance to win this game," said Van Stone.

"When your pitcher is grooving it like that, you just want to do everything you can on defense to help him out."

For the season, the Storm is averaging 5.6 runs per game, while compiling a .255 batting average, .372 on-base percentage and .343 slugging percentage. The Storm also has nine home runs.

"I feel like we just have to get things going earlier. We just have got to pick some things up. Hopefully we can hit better next week, just getting timely hits, because the hits that we got today there wasn't that many RBIs," said Lopez-Rios. Van Stone, Avila-Dorsey and Connor Ray accounted for the Storm's total offense.

Van Stone was 2-for-4 and scored a run.

Avila-Dorsey was 2-for-2 and scored a run.

Ray was 2-for-4.

Napa Valley struck out 13 times and walked seven times against Laney College pitching.

Five pitchers threw in the game for Laney. The win went to Alex Gomez, who started and worked five innings, allowing three hits and two runs (one earned), walked five and struck out six.

Nehemiah House's two-run single to center field gave Laney College a 3-2 lead in the third inning. Lopez-Rios has been a top addition to the NVC program, as the versatility he brings at shortstop and as a pitcher has been an important key, said Mayer. Lopez-Rios has a .367 batting average with 10 RBIs. As a pitcher, he has eight appearances (six starts), with 47 2/3 innings.

"His abilities and his input from all sides of the field is immeasurable at times," said Mayer.

Lopez-Rios missed a month after suffering a high ankle sprain making a play in a nonconference game against Gavilan College-Gilroy.

"He just came back and didn't miss a beat," said Mayer. "His input to every game is invaluable, for sure.

"What gives him that edge out here is that competitiveness. He has that commanding presence."

It's a big week for Napa Valley, as the Storm and Solano (23-13 overall, 13-5 Bay Valley) meet in a three-game series. Game 1 is Tuesday at Solano at 2:30 p.m. Game 2 is Thursday at Storm Field at 2:30 p.m. The third and final game of the series is on Friday at 1 p.m. at Solano.

"It's just playing for one another. It's a family out here and we've got to play for one another," said Van Stone. "It's the sophomores' last week, so I think that will help everyone get a little extra fired up. Hopefully we can rally on something like that."

Mayer added: "It's an exciting week. We're going to finish this year strong. We're excited for next year. We're excited for the guys that are coming in and the guys that are returning to the program. We're anticipating a bright future for next year, for sure. We've done a great job of recruiting guys that are both local and non-local."

* 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.