Nighthawks defeat Warriors in baseball opener

Murrieta Valley High School's baseball team traveled to Fallbrook for a Feb. 19 game which opened the season for both teams, and the Nighthawks returned home with a 6-0 victory over the Warriors.

"Murrieta Valley's very good, and we needed to score some runs," said Fallbrook coach Pat Walker.

Senior right-handed pitcher Grant Taylor kept the Warriors scoreless. "They threw a kid that's going to New Mexico State that was very good," Walker said.

Last year Murrieta Valley posted a season record of 23-9 including a 1-1 mark in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs. The San Diego Section playoffs have a double-elimination format, and Fallbrook's 17-16 overall record in 2018 reflects a 3-2 win-loss statistic in the Division IV postseason.

"We're going to face everybody's number one this year," Walker said.

Blake Caron was Fallbrook's starting pitcher and allowed four runs in three innings. Walker then gave mound duties to the rest of his starting pitchers other than Harrison Brown, who did not play because of a pulled hamstring. "We wanted to get every kid some work," Walker said. "We felt just as comfortable throwing everybody else."

Zac Allegro pitched the fourth inning for Fallbrook, Brady Hoff threw the next two frames and Grant Knox was on the mound for the seventh inning.

"I was very pleased with how the kids played," Walker said.

"Murrieta Valley was probably the best team we'll play," Walker said. "It should be a good season."