The Hornets launched their offense again to smoke the visiting Rustlers for a third time this week, winning the contest 7-4 on Saturday afternoon at home. The sweep put Fullerton two games over .500, and left a six game losing streak in the dust.

Hornets freshman center fielder Britton Beeson pulled off an outstanding performance during the game, serving his team with a home run in the second inning and a double to left field with the bases loaded in the seventh. “There is no doubt he is probably one of the best players in the league, maybe even the state,” said Fullerton Manager Chad Baum.

The Hornets sent sophomore RHP Freddy Castaneda to the bump for the start. He threw six innings, allowing five hits, two runs, two walks, and one punch out. “My job was to throw strikes and lead my defense behind me,” said Castaneda. “I had a lot of fun out there.”

Sophomore RHP Johnnie Valdez Jr started for the Rustlers. He was not the pitcher of record, but still completed six and a third innings, giving up six hits, two runs, a walk and four strikeouts.

Beeson made a statement with the Hornets first hit of the ball game in the second inning, smashing a home run. “I felt good, you know,” said Beeson about his performance. “[I] trust my coaches and the work we put in practice and you know, it paid off today.”

Golden West responded in the top of the third as freshman DH Nathan Beckley doubled to left field. His hit was then followed by freshman third baseman Preston Allen knocking a single to center field, driving Beckley home and tying the game 1-1.

In a game full of big hits, the bunt proved to be the catalyst multiple times for the Hornets in the fourth.

Sophomore right fielder Isaiah Marquez kicked things off driving a double down the left field line. A sacrafice bunt that was misplayed by the Rustlers allowed sophomore catcher Haku Dudoit to reach, putting runners on the corners with no outs.

Up next, sophomore shortstop Jimmy Blumberg executed the perfect suicide squeeze play, which is when the batter gives them self up as an out via a bunt to score a runner from third. In this case it was Marquez who scored to put the Hornets back on top.

After a single from sophomore second baseman Jared Benash put runners on the corners again, you guessed it. Another suicide squeeze, this time from freshman third baseman Landon Runge, allowing Dudoit to score, taking the Hornet’s lead to 3-1.

This capped a two run inning using the small ball method, which was most impressive and selfless from a notoriously free swinging Hornets squad.

The Hornets switched pitchers in the seventh inning from Castaneda to the winning pitcher in this game, freshman RHP Deven Beasley. Beasley pitched three innings on the mound, giving up three hits, two runs, one walk, and four punch outs.

“I expect us to throw strikes, put the ball in play and play good defense and that’s it,” said Baum. “After that, we’ll look up at the scoreboard and figure things out”.

Although there was now a fresh Fullerton pitcher on the mound, Golden West managed to tie the score again, giving the Hornets a taste of their own medicine.

After a single to right field from freshman left fielder Adam Baggetta, sophomore center fielder Ulisses Perez laid down the sacrifice bunt, which got the runner to third base on the play. A ground out to shortstop from Beckley was enough to plate Baggetta, putting the score at 3-3 in the top of the seventh inning.

The Rustlers began pitching with Valdez Jr. in the bottom of the seventh, but after the first out, Manager Andrew Ramos called for a mound visit and switched pitchers to who would be the losing pitcher of the game, freshman LHP Lucas Hines.

He would not record an out, allowing two runs, a walk, and hit a batter.

Hines started his outing by plunking sophomore left fielder Niko Santamaria with a pitch and ended his appearance by walking freshman DH Diego Franco.

Ramos left the dugout to switch pitchers for the second time in the same inning, now turning to sophomore RHP Andrew Stanley. He kept the recent tradition of no control going, walking freshman first baseman Tank Espalin.

With the bases now full of Hornets, Beeson again had his time to shine. He demolished the ball, a double to the left center field gap, driving in two more runs for the home team and retaking the lead.

On a sacrifice fly from Dudoit, Espalin scored the third run of the inning for the Hornets. Blummberg closed the big inning with a single to right which allowed Beeson to score, and then was thrown out at second trying to steal during Benash’s at-bat, leaving the scoreboard at 7-3 after seven innings.

Golden West did not go away as they scored again on an outstanding solo shot to left from freshman second baseman Dylan Lina in the top eighth.

After the home run, Beasley proceeded to slam the door and let the defense behind him do their job, sealing the win for Fullerton with a final score of 7-4.

“I feel like we can breathe a little more now and we can go back out and just keep playing how we know how to play and that’s Hornets’ baseball,” expressed Castaneda on the relief he felt after the win.

The Hornets will travel next week on Tuesday to Riverside to face The Tigers (26-7) at looking to start their second to last series of the season.