After a mystifying start to the year, the Woodland High School baseball team looks to have fully corrected the course of their season after a thrilling 7-6 home win over Golden Empire League rivals Casa Roble.

The Wolves (9-5, 6-4 GEL) came into Monday’s series opener against Casa Roble riding a four, but technically, seven-game win streak thanks to two straight league wins over Dixon on March 19 and 21, an 11-6 non-league win over Armijo on March 24, and a 10-0 non-league tune-up against Leroy Greene Academy this past Friday.

Between those games was a gone but not forgotten three-game series against Natomas, which folded its baseball program before meeting up with the Wolves.

Before the run, however, the Wolves endured a 1-5 start highlighted by a brutal three-game sweep to Sutter in which they lost 11-6 on March 10, 5-4 on March 11, and 2-1 on March 18.

“I think if you look at the wins and losses, it was a struggle at first, but everyone knows our talent and what we are capable of, so it was a matter of time before we hit our stride,” Wolves head coach Danny Eoff said. “Many of our guys had to get caught up from the end of basketball season, and now we seem to be rolling at full speed.”

So far, the freshmen pair of Riley Salvemini and Cohen Dwyer are leading the way for the Wolves at the plate. Salvemini leads the team in RBI (17), hits (19), and runs (10), while Dwyer is tied for first in runs (10) and fourth in hits (9).Sophomore PJ Pinegar and junior Dylan Ramirez have also been prolific at the plate, with Pinegar fourth in runs (8), second in hits (14) scored, and third in RBI (6). Ramirez sits third in runs (9), third in hits (9), and second in RBI (8).

On the mound, juniors David Tanner and Aiden Lopez, along with Salvemini, have pitched the most innings, with Tanner leading the way in innings (19.2) and strikeouts (22). Salvemini has picked up 18 strikeouts in 13 innings while only allowing 5 earned runs. Lopez is third on the team in strikeouts (15) in 11 innings of work.

“I think the biggest thing is the young guys came in knowing what they were capable of,” Eoff said. “From day one, they fit right in both with confidence and what they display during practice and games. They all belong to be here. It’s tricked throughout the program. When you pull younger guys up, there can be some skepticism to what they provide, but from game one, they showed everyone they can be the nucleus of the team for the next three or four years.”

Perenial GEL favorite Casa Roble (5-6, 4-4 GEL) came into the matchup in a bit of a slide after a three-game sweep at the hands of powerhouse Sutter. Before that, however, they enjoyed huge wins over Natomas and a 2-1 series split against Destiny Christian Academy.

Casa Roble instantly forgot all of their previous series woes after a three-run first inning, jumping on Tanner early. Despite the rough start, the Wolves instantly responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first to tie it up at 3-3.

Both teams went on to match each other in the second and third innings, scoring a run each, making it 5-5 to start the top of the fourth.

Despite loading the bases in the second inning, the Wolves only got one across after Salvemini knocked in junior Trevor Zane to make it 4-4. In the third, a Dylan Johns single scored senior Joseph Cadotte to make it 5-5. Cadotte went 4-4 at the plate with 2 RBI.

“His bat has been alive all year long,” Eoff said. “We have known for four years what he provides on the basepaths. When he’s hitting singles and doubles, it provides an element on offense that drives us. He’s a huge part of our offense.”

In the top of the fourth, Casa found a way to manufacture a run and take a 6-5 lead on a walk and two wild pitches or passed balls.

In the top of the fifth, with Lopez on in relief, things looked to get really dicey as Casa Roble baserunners reached second and third base with no outs. Despite the situation, Lopez managed to get out of the inning unscathed.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Wolves got their big break as they scored two runners to take a 7-6 lead. An infield single from Cadotte started the comeback, allowing Ramirez to score from third base. Senior Joseph Quezada then came up to draw a walk for Zane.

In the midst of a 3-4 game at the plate, Zane would hit a dribbler to third base that allowed Pinegar to score from third and give Woodland a clutch one-run lead.

With the pressure on, Lopez mowed his way through the last inning of work to pick up the win. He finished the game with three huge innings of relief, allowing no runs on a hit, walk, and 4 huge strikeouts.

“He’s a very crafty lefty,” Eoff said. “He came in to slam the door against the section champions. He relies on placement and offspeed, and last night, he was dealing. He did exactly what we needed him to.”

Up next for the Wolves will be the second game of the series against Casa Roble, set for Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. at Casa Roble High School. Game three will be a treat for the fans as it will be played back at home at Clark Field this Friday, under the lights, with the first pitch set for 7 p.m.

“The one thing we have been struggling with is finishing games,” Eoff said. “We let teams back in slowly, so I’d love us to go out there and strike first and not look back, especially in a big series like this.”