The West Ranch Wildcats baseball team wasn’t going to let a little wind get them out of their game.  A day after losing to the Castaic Coyotes on the road, the Wildcats used 12 hits, all singles, and a five-run second inning to beat Castaic on Tuesday at West Ranch High School for their first win in nearly two weeks.  West Ranch’s last win came in non-league action March 5, an 8-7 victory at Harvard-Westlake.  West Ranch pitcher Orlando Gutierrez (13) delivers a pitch during the third inning of Tuesday’s game against Castaic at West Ranch High School on March 18, 2025. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal Wildcats (6-6,1-1) junior Orlando Gutierrez fired six innings and struck out four while scattering eight hits and two walks in what was their second of four scheduled Foothill League games this week after rainouts postponed both of their games against Castaic last week.  “I just tried to do my job today,” Gutierrez said. “Huge team win. We really needed this. Move on to tomorrow.”  Castaic (7-4, 1-1) had won Monday’s league opener for both squads, 6-4.  Gutierrez had to buckle down a few times, including the fourth inning when he got out of a bases-loaded jam without allowing a run. He showed some emotion walking off the mound after inducing a strikeout to keep his team out in front.  West Ranch’s Ty Diaz (24) swings at a pitch during the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game against Castaic at West Ranch High School on March 18, 2025. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal “It was huge,” Gutierrez said. “I got a cushion, but I just wanted to get out of it. I was pumped. Got the strikeout. Excited.”  The second inning for West Ranch turned what was a 1-1 tie after the first inning into a decent cushion for Gutierrez.  Senior Ryan Oh drove in two runs to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game before senior Nolan Stoll added a run with an RBI single and junior Ty Diaz completed the five-run frame with a two-run single.  Stoll was tied for the team lead with three hits on the day. He also tied for the team lead with two RBIs, matched by Diaz, junior Omar Gutierrez and Oh.  West Ranch’s Omar Gutierrez (12) runs to second base during the second inning of Tuesday’s game against Castaic at West Ranch High School on March 18, 2025. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal “On a super windy day like today, we knew we weren’t gonna drive the ball over the yard,” Stoll said. “So, we just tried to keep it simple and just get on base.”  Castaic senior Gio Foster drove in the lone run for Castaic in the first inning.  Senior Chad Kober gave up six runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings for Castaic, striking out four. But a few defensive miscues behind him had Coyotes head coach Darrell Davis feeling like Kober did his job.  “We get a fly ball to center, and our guy catches it 99% of the time, and he drops it, they score a run off of that,” Davis said. “The second inning, we have a chance to turn a double play, our shortstop doesn’t make the play. Then we get another ground ball to our second baseman, he makes an error. And from there, it went all downhill … I felt so bad for him today, because he really pitched well, but we didn’t make plays.”  Castaic pitcher Chad Kober (22) delivers a pitch during the second inning of Tuesday’s game against West Ranch at West Ranch High School on March 18, 2025. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal It’s been a rough start to the Foothill League season, which was supposed to start last week before rain canceled nearly every game. That has created a bit of a logjam in the schedule, and teams are trying to fit in those postponed games wherever they can.  Both West Ranch and Castaic were slated to play five games this week, but Wildcats head coach Ryan Lindgreen said he is postponing his team’s non-league game on Saturday, though the Wildcats also played this past Saturday, as did Castaic.  “With so many days off, and then trying to scramble to get games in, and then now for us, it’ll be five games in seven days, because we played last Saturday, it’s very uneven right now,” Lindgreen said. “But we’re just gonna take the challenge in front of us and and put our best foot forward, and I think our guys are ready for that.”  West Ranch’s Nolan Stoll (9) runs to home plate during the second inning of Tuesday’s game against Castaic at West Ranch High School on March 18, 2025. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal A bright spark on offense both Monday and Tuesday for Castaic was freshman Orion Gonzalez, who launched a home run as part of a three-hit, four-RBI day in Monday’s win. But Davis said his freshman phenom showed that he is still young with a couple of botched defensive plays at second base on Tuesday, though he did record another three hits.  “Orion’s special,” Davis said. “He’s a freshman, and, you know, we told him, ‘The ball is going to find you.’ He did not have a good fielding day, but he’s been hitting the ball very well. He’s going to be fine.”  Castaic’s Orion Gonzalez (66) runs past first base during the third inning of Tuesday’s game against West Ranch at West Ranch High School on March 18, 2025. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal Gonzalez is set to start on the mound for the Coyotes in Wednesday’s home league game against the Golden Valley Grizzlies. After that, the Grizzlies host Castaic on Friday and then the Coyotes play Foothill Tech on the road on Saturday.  “The good thing about it for us is, we have the arms,” Davis said. “We have enough pitching. And we’re gonna be fine … The goal was to get one (against West Ranch). We know how tough this league is, and, you know, to get one from them, I’m happy with that.”  West Ranch is slated to play on the road against the Canyon Cowboys on Wednesday and then finish the week by hosting the Cowboys.  Castaic’s Jayden Broderick (11) swings at a pitch during the fifth inning of Tuesday’s game against West Ranch at West Ranch High School on March 18, 2025. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal The post Big second inning gives West Ranch baseball victory over Castaic  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal. ...read more read less