TEMECULA — In a game that had the echoes of last season’s CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoff heartbreak, the Temecula Valley Golden Bears were not about to replay history. On Tuesday, March 13, they seized a strong 5-1 win against Capistrano Valley Christian.

It wasn’t until the top of the fourth inning that the Eagles capitalized on an error, marking the scoreboard first. The Golden Bears, however, weren’t shaken, responding with ferocity in the bottom of the same inning. Josh Pinnell’s sacrifice fly scored a crucial run, before Taden Krogsgaard’s double dropped another two runs, raising the score to a reassuring 3-1.

Taden Krogsgaard had 2 RBIs at the plate and struck out seven batters over six innings in the Golden Bears win over Capistrano Valley Christian on Tuesday, March 13. Valley News/Time Stood Still Photography

Krogsgaard, just a sophomore, was nothing short of stellar on the opposite side of the field, pitching six vigorous innings, conceding just six hits and an unearned run while striking out seven. Closing up shop for the Golden Bears, Cody Liscio mastered a hitless relief inning, adding another two strikeouts to the team’s tally.

Chase Hilt’s bat spoke loud and clear as he went 2-for-2, and the united offensive effort saw both Krogsgaard and Connor Christie notch up two RBIs each. Christie’s superb .600 and Will Bandel’s .529 batting averages continue to shine as they are amongst the overall preseason leaders in batting averages, both with 9 hits on the season.

On the opposing side, Braden Butler led the Eagles with two hits, but his efforts could not tilt the scale in Capistrano Valley Christian’s favor. The victory surges the Golden Bears forward, fueling their confidence going into their next challenge against Valley View on Friday, March 15. One game remains for Temecula Valley before Southwestern League action gets underway.

The Golden Bears will prepare to host Vista Murrieta at home come Monday, March 18th. Southwestern League play promises to be enthralling for the six area teams, with the first pitch slated for a 3:15 p.m. start on Monday for them all.

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JP Raineri
JP Raineri

JP is an award-winning multimedia journalist, and head of the Sports Department for the Valley News. Over his time in the Temecula Valley, JP, a former Southwestern League head baseball coach, was also an on-air radio personality at Q103.3, KATY 101.3, Hot 103.9, and was a television host for the Outdoor Channel. When not covering local, or national sports, JP also serves as an Associate Baseball Scout with NSR.