The NorCal Tigers battled throughout the afternoon but came up short against the Atléticos, falling 8-3 on Sunday at De Anza High School.

NorCal struck first in the second inning when Andy Rodriguez lined an RBI single to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead. The offense continued to create scoring opportunities, and the Tigers carried momentum into the middle innings after adding two more runs to take a 3-0 advantage.

The game turned in the bottom of the fourth inning when the Atléticos capitalized on timely hitting and a few defensive miscues. The home team put together a five-run inning on three hits to erase the deficit and take a 5-3 lead. A run-scoring single highlighted the rally as the Atléticos seized control of the game.

Ryan Burton got the start on the mound for the Tigers, pitching four innings while allowing five runs, three of them earned. He struck out two and walked two before turning the game over to the bullpen.

Despite the loss, NorCal's offense continued to put runners on base, finishing with 11 hits. Andy Rodriguez, Joe Correa, Andrew Marty, and Anakin Manuel each recorded two-hit performances to pace the lineup. Sean Snead, Rodriguez, and Correa each drove in a run, while the Tigers also flashed their defense by turning two double plays.

The Atléticos matched NorCal with 11 hits and received contributions from throughout their lineup, with multiple players recording multi-hit performances and driving in key runs. They also remained aggressive on the basepaths with four stolen bases, turned two double plays on defense, and played a flawless game in the field without committing an error.

Although the Tigers out-hit their opponent, they were unable to overcome the decisive fourth inning. NorCal showed resilience by continuing to battle at the plate until the final out and will look to bounce back next Sunday when they return home to face the Phillies.