Pitching and defense led the way as the Bear Cubs baseball team [17-7, 6-3] continued its winning streak with an 11-5 drubbing of Diablo Valley College March 26 at Cook Sypher Field.

On a warm and bright afternoon in Santa Rosa, it was Bear Cub starter Kyle Mitchell who shined brightest, pitching eight strong innings, giving up just four hits and two earned runs.

In a game that was far more lopsided than the final score indicates, the Bear Cubs’ offense scored early and often, slicing through Diablo Valley’s pitching staff like a hot knife through butter. Catcher Ryan Haugh led the charge, finishing with three hits, and two steals.

Assistant coach Tom Francois spoke about the importance of having a leader like Haugh behind the plate.

“Haugh is the quarterback of our team, confidently leading the troops into battle each game. The way he stays composed and handles adversity really sets an example for the rest of the guys,” Francois said.

The game was tight early, as both teams played strong defense to help its pitchers out of a jam. The Bear Cubs broke the game opened with a five-run seventh inning, aided by two consecutive throwing errors by DVC third baseman Hudson Bishop.

The way Mitchell pitched, it never felt like the game was in  doubt. When asked about his teammate’s  performance, fellow Bear Cub pitcher Vijay Patel said “he absolutely dominated. He’s starting to throw like the pitcher we know he can be, and he will be a huge part of our success as a staff and as a team going forward.”

The Bear Cubs continued their success Friday, April 27, scoring six runs in the top of the ninth, to beat Diablo Valley College 8-2 on its home turf, finishing off a sweep of the home-and-home, bringing their winning streak to six.