Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

Scoring runs early in the new baseball season has not been a problem for McKinleyville.

On Saturday, the Panthers played their home openers, entertaining University Prep in a doubleheader and winning both games, 13-4 and 11-3.

With the two wins, the McKinleyville boys improved to 5-0 and they have scored 60 runs in those five games.

“The kids are seeing the ball good right now,” McKinleyville head coach Mike Dobrec said. “We’re hitting the ball really well as a team, one through nine.”

Seven different Panthers hit successfully in game one, including five players who finished with multiple hits.

Tate Saso and Blake Santos led the way at the plate.

Saso finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, while Santos was 3-for-3 with two RBIs.

Hunter Carper also had a big game at the plate and was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, while Ruger Baxter was 2-for-2 with an RBI and Jake Brunner was 2-for-4 with a double.

Pat Wilson also had a double and finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs, while Rhythm Green was 1-for-3 and Bode Reininger had an RBI.

Reininger also got the win on the mound, throwing four innings and striking out four, with Green throwing two innings in relief and striking out six and Cody Wilson pitching the final inning and striking out one.

The Panthers comftnued to roll in game two.

Saso capped a big day at the plate by going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, giving him five hits over the two games.

Wilson (2-for-4, RBI) and Brunner (2-for-3, two RBIs) each also had multiple hits in that win, while Santos (1-for-2, RBI) rounded out a seven-hit team performance.

It’s been an impressive start to the season for McKinleyville, especially considering how the weather affected the team’s preparation over the past month.

“Both games were team wins,” Dobrec said, “All that time we spent in the cages is paying off.”

Carper, Joe Tanno and Tyson Marshall each also had an RBI in game two.

Tanno got the start on the mound and threw three strong innings, striking out three.

Carper got the win in relief, also pitching three innings and striking out three, with Saso pitching the final inning to help secure the win.

Three of McKinleyville’s wins this season have come against University Prep, including a victory at last weekend’s Foothill tournament.