A few errors and a rough time in the middle innings proved to be too much for the Pioneer High School baseball team to overcome as they fell to Monticello Empire League rivals Vacaville 6-4 Tuesday evening.

The Patriots (10-8, 5-2) came into the home showdown in a bit of a rut by their standards, losers of three out of four games, including a 5-4 eight-inning loss to MEL foes Wood in game two of their series, and two nonleague tests against Central Catholic and Placer.

They did, however, win their most recent game against Fairfield on April 4 by the score of 6-3.

“Baseball is baseball, and you have to make the least amount of mistakes,” Patriots head coach Craig Marquez said. “When you do that and put the pressure on the opponent, you win 9 times out of 10. The completion was fun. The thing about playing only two games in the league against a team is you can find other teams to play.”

They managed to get off to a great start on Tuesday, going up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning after senior Jack Cullison brought home fellow senior Landon Dahler on a sacrifice fly to center to make it 1-0.

The lead lasted an inning before they went on to allow 2 runs in the top of the third and the top of the fourth, making it 4-1. The Patriots managed to respond in the bottom of the fourth after Drew Van Court singled and worked his way around the bases, scoring on a Jack Selfridge ground out to make it 4-2.

The Patriots then made things a bit harder on themselves, allowing game-deciding runs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings. They didn’t help themselves at the plate either, loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth but coming away empty-handed.

In the bottom of the seventh, however, the Patriots would get painstakingly close to tying the game up and perhaps even winning it.

An infield RBI single from sophomore Santos Bermudez would score junior Cisco Quintana to kick off a wild inning and make it 6-3. Cullison then came up to bloop a single to right field, allowing Bermudez to reach third.

A few pitches later, a wild pitch forced Bermudez to try for home, and despite the catcher getting to and finding the ball quickly, Bermudez managed to reach home first and make it 6-4.

Van Court would then walk and eventually steal second base to give the Patriots the tying runs on second and third base.

Selfridge came to bat and, a few pitches in, managed to hit a liner that looked destined for right field. But, somehow, some way, the Vacaville first baseman sprung into action, leaped into the air, and knocked the ball to himself to safely catch it and end the game at 6-4.

“When we play error-proof baseball, we win, but when we extend innings for other teams, it gets tough,” Marquez said. “Tip your hat to Vacaville. They are a very good team, and that first baseman made a nice play. It is what it is.”

Up next for the Patriots will be game two of the series, on the road at Vacaville High School on Thursday at 4 p.m.