KNIGHTS BASEBALL COME UP SHORT

Shasta College let a three‑run lead slip away late and fell 7–5 to visiting Yuba on Tuesday afternoon, despite a spirited midgame surge and an aggressive day on the bases from the Knights.

Late lead disappears in eighth

Shasta carried a 5–2 advantage into the top of the eighth before Yuba strung together four hits and a walk to plate five runs and seize control. The decisive frame erased what had been a strong day for the Knights' pitching staff and a momentum‑building middle‑innings rally at home.

Bowen's big swing sparks Knights

Down 2–0 in the fourth, first baseman Patrick Bowen Jr. delivered the swing that flipped the energy at Shasta, driving a two‑run home run that brought in Caden Illingworth and tied the game 2–2. Bowen finished 1 for 4 with 2 RBI and anchored a double play defensively. Catcher Clayton Jeanneret added extra‑base pop with a triple as part of his 1‑for‑5 day, scoring one of the Knights' runs.

Sixth‑inning chaos gives Shasta the lead

The Knights did their best work in the sixth, turning pressure and tempo into three runs without the benefit of a long ball. Third baseman William Mager singled home Jeanneret to put Shasta in front, then helped turn the inning into a track meet: Mager stole second while Illingworth swiped home, and moments later Mager scored on a wild pitch after Logan Kuster advanced on the same misfire, pushing the lead to 5–2. Illingworth finished with two stolen bases, while Mager and Kuster each added one steal, showcasing the Knights' willingness to manufacture offense.

Strong start on the mound

Right‑hander Cole Blackburn set the tone early, working 5 innings and holding Yuba to two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out two and walking just one. Relievers Langdon Martinovich, Parker Kipp, and Wyatt Wulfing combined for 2 hitless innings with three strikeouts, stabilizing the game and handing the late lead to the back end of the bullpen.

Yuba's eighth‑inning answer

Yuba answered in the eighth, beginning with a two‑run double by left fielder Levi Van Patten that cut the Shasta led to 5–4 and swung the momentum back to the visitors. A groundout RBI by Jackson Molloy tied the game, and a run‑scoring single from Payton Buttacavoli and an RBI single from JJ Allen completed the five‑run frame that put Yuba ahead 7–5.

Knights' perspective moving forward

Offensively, Shasta finished with six hits, including Bowen's home run and Jeanneret's triple, and showed a clear identity with four stolen bases and an aggressive approach on the bases that rattled Yuba's staff in the middle innings. Defensively, the Knights committed just one error and turned a double play, but the staff issued seven walks overall, a key area the group will look to tighten as they move deeper into February play. Despite the loss, Shasta's ability to battle back from an early deficit and build a late lead offers a foundation the Knights can build on as they continue their early‑season homestand.