PASADENA, Calif. – Caltech baseball opened its season Friday afternoon with a 4-1 victory over California Miramar University. The Beavers welcomed the Fighting Falcons to North Field in their season opener and with a combination of early slugging and strong pitching were able to win the game.
 
Caltech ambushed the Fighting Falcons early on in the first inning. Leadoff hitter and first baseman Kailen Hargenrader got on base via an error. Leftfielder Levi Alderete followed with a single and Caltech struck first off the bat of centerfielder Jack Fishel, whose RBI single to put the Beavers up 1-0. Shortstop Mark Hu batted in Alderete two batters later and it was quickly 2-0 after one inning.
 
In the third inning, the Beavers would strike again and Levi Alderete was a centerpiece for more high-powered offense. Alderete singled and set the tone for Fishel as he ripped a double to make it second and third with only one out. Right fielder Thorsen Kristufek continued the hot streak of hitting as he would double as well, scoring both Alderete and Fishel making it 4-0 Beavers by the end of the third.
 
Caltech couldn't get any offense going the rest of the game with only one baserunner reaching through the last five innings. The Beavers instead relied on their strong pitching from starter Brendan Flaherty who threw six innings of one-run baseball. Flaherty struck out five batters, walking two, allowing only two hits and one run in a great start to the season.
 
In the top of the fifth inning, Cal Miramar would score their only run of the game after Alex Rodriguez and Moses Congo both reached base. Flaherty would settle down, getting the next three batters all out but not without a sacrifice fly to score Rodriguez from third base. After five, it was 4-1 Caltech and that's how the final would shape up.
 
After Flaherty's six impressive innings of work, the Beavers turned to RHP Jacob Alderete who came in for the relief effort. Alderete walked the first batter on four straight balls but would settle in very quickly; retiring the next seven batters in a row.
 
The ninth inning went fairly quickly. Alderete got the designated hitter Arturo Estrada to ground out to open the inning. Francisco Avena singled to give the Fighting Falcons life, but those hopes were shortly diminished as Alderete sat down the next two batters to bring the game to an end.
 
Jacob Alderete recorded a save in this one, which was the first in his collegiate career. As for Brendan Flaherty, he got the win, his ninth of his collegiate career making him the solo all-time leader in pitching wins in Caltech baseball history. After the game, Assistant Coach Frank Craska voiced some praise for his guys.
 
"It's always great to come out and start the season with a W," said Craska, "Brendan set the tone, did a good job getting ahead, and the guys came out and got some early runs and some timely hits, and made plays when we had to, and it's really good to get a W to start the year and head into the weekend with a chance to win the series."
 
Head Coach Kevin Whitehead and the Beavers will return to action on Saturday morning in a home doubleheader against Southern California Leadership University. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. with the second game slated for 2 p.m.
 
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