The 2018 season is under way but unfortunately it did not go as planned for the Beavers this weekend.  Friday's game saw the Beavers bats go silent as they dropped the opener 6-2 to the West Valley College Vikings.  A.R.C. managed just five hits and a couple of misplays defensively led to five unearned runs.  RHP Hayden Josephson (Granite Bay) was shaky in his first outing, throwing 74 pitches through just four innings, but freshman RHP Nick Perry (Rio Linda)  was outstanding out of the bullpen, throwing four innings allowing a pair of unearned runs on three hits.  Offensively, the Beavers five hits were spread between just three players as sophomore 2B Matt Clarke (Bella Vista) had a pair of singles as did sophomore RF Blake Spencer (Rio Americano).  Freshman CF BJ Baker (Ponderosa) added an infield single and a sacrifice fly to produce the only RBI of the game.

Saturday, the Beavers traveled to Saratoga to take on the Vikings and they got off to a great start.  The Beavers loaded the bases in the first inning, then sophomore DH Justin Hanlin (Whitney) singled in a run to pick up his first RBI of the season.  BJ Baker then launched a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam to put the Beavers up 5-0 before an out was recorded.  Freshman RHP Collin Carriger (Bella Vista) held the Vikings to one run over 4 innings.  A.R.C. tacked on another pair of runs in the 5^th inning, with Baker adding another sacrifice fly to pick up his 5^th RBI of the day and 6^th of the young season.  Freshman RHP Chris Nam (Kalani, HI) was not sharp however, he allowed four runs without recording an out in the 5^th inning.  Nam's line included an error, a wild pitch, a single and 3 hit batters.  West Valley was able to chip away at the lead until they tied it up in the 7^th inning.  The score held tight until the 10^th inning when the Beavers were able to take advantage of a defensive miscue by the Vikings.  After Baker reached base on a strikeout/wild pitch and a pinch-hit walk by Blake Spencer, pinch hitter Justin Borchard (Woodland) hit a sharp grounder to first.  The first baseman threw to second to record the out but nobody covered first and Baker hustled around to score from second on a close play at the plate to give the Beavers an 8-7 lead.  Sophomore RHP Freddy May (Folsom) was on the mound in the 10^th for his 3^rd inning of work when he allowed a one out double to tie the game.  It was the only hit he allowed in his three innings of work.  Freshman RHP Shawn Roberts (Del Campo) came on to work a scoreless 11^th, but he could not hold West Valley down in the 12^th and the Vikings won it on a base hit to right with the outfield drawn in.

The Beavers travel back to the Silicon Valley on Tuesday to face Mission College in Santa Clara at 2:00 p.m.