Koenen’s eighth-inning single keys Rancho victory

Scott Koenen emerged last season as a consistent hitter for Rancho’s baseball team, but the junior first baseman isn’t resting on his laurels.

The rigorous training he put in during the offseason already is paying dividends for the Rams.

Koenen’s two-run single in the top of the eighth inning snapped a 6-all tie and lifted Rancho to a 9-6 victory at Palo Verde on Saturday. He finished 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.

In two games this season, Koenen is 8-for-9 with two home runs, two doubles and nine RBIs.

“Scott has started off fantastic,” coach Tom Pletsch said. “He worked his butt off in the offseason and has really stepped up. We’re expecting some big things out of him this year.”

Rancho trailed 5-1 after the first inning but answered with three runs in the second and two in the third to take a 6-5 lead.

Palo Verde tied the score at 6 when Christian Centrella’s sacrifice fly knocked in Dillon Meyer in the fourth. But neither team capitalized on ensuing scoring opportunities until the eighth, when Rancho loaded the bases with no outs.

“It was a big team win. We showed a lot of character,” Koenen said of rallying from the 5-1 hole. “We all put in the effort and did a great job today.”

Rancho put two runners in scoring position with no outs in the seventh but failed to score.

“We got together over here at the end of the dugout (after the seventh) and said, 'This is our time,’ ” Koenen said. “To come up short like that wouldn’t fit our standard, and we had to do what we had to do to get the win.”

Rancho’s Eric Holdren pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for the win. The junior right-hander scattered three hits, walked two and struck out eight.

“Eric looked very strong out there,” Koenen said. “We were looking for one or two (innings), but he came with four strong. He dominated the mound, and we owe it to him.”

Brandon Pletsch went 3-for-5 with three RBIs for Rancho. Teammates Zak Qualls (two RBIs), Kevin Kline and Josh Gomez added two hits apiece.

Dillon Meyer blasted a solo home run in the first inning for Palo Verde. Dan Jaffe (two doubles), Billy Bob Ward (two RBIs) and Centrella tallied two hits each.

Tom Pletsch was pleased with how his team responded to a close game after winning its opener 12-1 at Shadow Ridge on Thursday.

“The closer games build character,” he said. “Palo was really pumped up; it was their first game of the year.

“They’ve got a great team and they’re going to push in the Northwest. For us to come out and get a win today, it’s really going to be a good bus ride home.”