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The win, Bonanza's fourth straight at home to start the season, came after Silverado scored the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth against Mario Franzese, who improved his season record on the mound to 2-0. Bonanza (6-6) loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning and, after a hit batsmen, Shreve lifted the game-winning sacrifice fly to left.
"Today we found a way to get the win," head coach Derek Stafford said. "We were coming off almost five days off so it could have been a trap game. Right now, with one non-league game left before we open Southwest Divisional play against Spring Valley om Thursday.
"Coach (Mike) O'Rourke and I both went to Silverado so anytime we can beat out old coach and mentor, it feels good. Silverado coach Brian Whitaker is as good as it gets in this city and he is one of the reasons we coach today. It's always nice to look across the field and see someone who has had that kind of impact in our lives."
Shreve finished the day with three RBI while teammate Jordan Hanley added three RBI of his own. Tomo Delp finished the game 2-for-2 with a double and a home run as the Bengals remained undefeated at home. Shreve threw one solid inning in relief while sophomore David Pettis added two scoreless innings in the tune-up.
"We're just trying to get ready for league play," Stafford said. "It feels like our starting pitchers are starting to settle in and we're throwing much stronger than we did at the beginning. Playing in the toughest division in the city means we have to be ready to go right out of the gates."
The Bengals returned from a four-day hiatus after finishing the Blazer Sportco Classic 2-2, with wins over Centennial (Calif.) and Roosevelt (Calif.). The 4-3 win over Centennial (9-1) was a huge emotional boost for the Bengals, who had lost 18-2 to nationally-ranked Chatsworth (Calif.) the previous night.
Bonanza returns to action Tuesday afternoon as it hits the road to take on Valley, the alma mater of future Hall-of-Famer Greg Maddux. The game is set for a 3:30 p.m. in the final non-league game before Thursday afternoon's divisional opener at Spring Valley.
