The Skyline baseball team won 6-5 in a thriller of a game against the Cabrillo College Seahawks on April 17.

Julian Merryweather was the starting pitcher for the day. In the first five innings he was strong and consistent. He went 7.1 innings, giving up five runs (all earned) on seven hits, and he struck out four.

“Early I was cruising,” Mer- ryweather said after the game. “I think through about six innings I didn’t give up a hit. I felt great, then I just started to get tired at the end so I broke down a little bit.Nick picked me up getting the outs. Our hitting was obviously com- ing in clutch. It was definitely the best win of the year. Coming up in the bottom of the eighth, that’s money.”

In the first inning, third base- man Anthony Gutierrez hit an RBI double that scored first baseman Matt Page and gave the Trojans a 1-0 lead that they kept through the top of the sixth inning.

In the top of the sixth, Mer- ryweather gave up three earned runs. He then gave up one run each in both the seventh and eighth innings. The Seahawks lead 5-1 at that point, then in the bottom of the sixth the Trojans scored a run to keep the score 5-2.

“Julian threw seven and a third today, and I just want to make sure that he doesn’t get discredit- ed,” relief pitcher Nick Paton said. “I did come in and do what I had to do, but Julian set us up for the win. Our bats came up a little late, but he should get all the credit.”

The Trojans had a rally going in the bottom of the eighth, in which they scored four runs to take a 6-5 lead over the Seahawks. In the eighth inning the Seahawks changed pitchers three different times. Starting pitcher Josh Rodriguez went 7.2 innings, giving up eight hits, five runs (all earned) and striking out seven in his ap– pearance for the day. Then Julian Garcia faced one batter, Robin Lausen, to whom he gave up one hit and one earned run, which was ultimately the game-winning hit for the Trojans.

Ryan Bender and Robin Lau- sen each had an RBI, and Anthony Gutierrez and Colton Hicks had two RBI’s each.

“I just like how we fought back,” said Gutierrez. “We got clutch hits when we needed them. We fought back pretty well, which was the best part. Jules threw well and he kept us in the game.”

In the middle of the seventh inning, Nick Paton came in for Merryweather and went 1.2 in- nings, giving up only two hits against seven batters. Needing just three outs to win the game in the top of the ninth, Paton stepped in to earn the win. “I knew I was facing the nine-batter,” said Paton. “Then I had the leadoff and second hitter; and I knew I didn’t want to get to the three-, four-hitter; I ended up getting to the three-hitter, but we still got him out. That was probably the biggest situation I’ve ever been in.”