After starting the 2019 season with five straight losses, the Reedley College Tiger baseball team broke into the win column Friday afternoon with a 7-5 victory over the Mission College Saints in Reedley.

The 1-5 Tigers are on the road for the next five games. The road trip was scheduled to start with a Feb. 5 (weather permitting) against DeAnza College in Cupertino. Reedley gets the weekend off after a Thursday, Feb. 7 contest at Ohlone College in Fremont before going to Sacramento City College on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Last week started for the Tigers with a tough 9-6 loss to Bakersfield College last Thursday in Reedley. The hosts built an early 5-2 lead before the Renegades scored six times in the seventh to take control.

Deagan Risnes (Lake Arrowhead) slugged triples in his first two at-bats and later added a double while Nick Martinez (Madera) hit a solo home run in the second.

The Tigers got in two games on Friday before a Saturday matchup with Napa Valley was postponed due to rain. In Friday's opener, Golden West hit three home runs in an 8-2 win over the Tigers. Trailing 6-0 in the seventh, Reedley scored twice on a two-run double off the bat of Henry Degnan (El Cerrito).

Reliever Trenton Vander Veen (Central Valley Christian) retired eight straight batters before allowing back-to-back home runs.

Freshman righthander Harrison Moy (Honolulu) started the Mission contest and threw five shutout innings, striking out seven.

Reedley took advantage of five walks and a hit batter to score five times in the bottom of the first inning. Martinez drove in the first run with a single while Tony Riley (Alameda) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Blake Costa (Tulare Western), Mitch Silvas (Redwood) and Martinez all finished with two hits for the winners.

By Will Goldbeck