WHITTIER — The California baseball team faced a three-run deficit heading into the sixth inning against visiting Santa Fe in a Del Rio League game on Wednesday.

But California stormed back to win, 4-3, by pushing three runs across in the sixth to tie the score and winning in the seventh on Luke Martinez’s walk-off single that scored Jacob Duarte.

Cal coach Kyle Pine commended his team’s execution in the series-clinching win over the Chiefs.

“It’s what we talked about at the beginning of the week,” Pine said. “We need to win on Wednesday to set us up for Friday for a possibility of a sweep. The win gives us the breathing room that we need. This is what we constantly talk about, we take care of business on day one, we can then concern ourselves with Friday.”

The Condors improved to 13-4 overall and 4-1 in the Del Rio League. It’s a major turnaround for a team that was 3-9 in league last season.

“We’re gonna have to start talking to the team about, ‘Hey, the target’s on our back, they’re gonna come for us,’ ” Pine said. “Like we’re at the top, it’s new for us. These guys haven’t been at the top. We’ve got to learn how to understand and handle that pressure and then we’ll go from there.”

Santa Fe dropped to 6-12 and 2-3 in league play.

California’s Ethan Martinez turned in a quality start. The senior pitcher struck out a season-high 10 batters and allowed three runs on four hits in five innings of work.

“Getting a series win against a team we got swept by last season just feels amazing,” Martinez said. “It feels like a new story and being able to be a part of it, pitching in two of the games, it just makes me feel better knowing I’m able to contribute to a winning team.”

Santa Fe pitcher James Rubio allowed four hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. He tacked on six strikeouts.

Rubio began his outing on shaky terms, loading the bases in the opening frame. The Condors weren’t able to make the most of the opportunity as Rubio picked up a punch out to end the inning, stranding all three runners.

Santa Fe’s offense woke up in the fourth inning, striking for three runs that with the help of two doubles. However, that would be all the Chiefs’ run production they could muster up.

After remaining relatively unscathed through five innings, Rubio ran into trouble again as Cal put together three runs in the sixth inning, setting up Martinez’s heroics in the seventh.