Going to a Davis High baseball game anytime soon?

Plan to stick around to the very end.

The Blue Devils ran their record to 4-1 by topping Rocklin, 7-6, on a chilly Thursday night at Raley Field.

How DHS wins has become a head-scratching routine: On Thursday it was a five-run sixth inning and a solo tally in the bottom of the seventh that did the trick. It was the second straight outing in which the locals won in their final time at bat.

In its five games, the Devils have only once scored before the fifth inning — and this heart-stopping, nonleague victory was no exception.

Struggling through four innings against Thunder righty Tanner McVey, Davis found itself trailing, 6-0, in the fifth.

With one out, Blue Devil second baseman Joe Murray was plunked by McVey for a seemingly harmless free pass. Rocklin coach Roc Murray figured his ace hurler had done enough — bullpen work was now on the agenda.

The Thunder skipper just didn’t reckon how much bullpen work was ahead.

Ryan Smith replaced McVey.

Immediately, Chris Gnos reached on catcher’s interference. Gnos and Murray advanced on a wild pitch before Ben Eckels (yes, that Ben Eckels — more about him in a minute) smacked a two-out grounder to deep short. Eckels beat the throw to first as Murray scampered home.

Smith got the final out and it looked like DHS had simply postponed the inevitable.

Not so. Entering the sixth inning, the Devils were in their element.

The first five Davis hitters worked their way on base against Smith: Patric Kreidler and John Ariola reaching on singles, Chris Daunt hit by a pitch, George Hatamiya on a wicked single off the shortstop’s glove (driving in Kreidler and Ariola) and another hit batter (Murray again).

Manager Murray, at that point, made another pitching move.

Lefty Levi Bonnin walked Gnos to force in Daunt. The bases were still loaded with nobody out, and it was now 6-4.

In came Jack Wittwer for the Thunder (3-1).

He retired Bobby Young, but walked Eckels to score Hatamiya.

Then it was out with Wittwer and in with Dom Giampaoli, who got pinch-hitter Hayden Duer for the second out. Kreidler worked a walk, forcing home Murray with the tying run just before Ariola flew to left.

Meanwhile, Eckels, who earned the restoration of his eligibility this week, was making his season debut in a relief effort of Blue Devil starter Jack Shelledy.

The senior right-hander had come on in the fourth inning with two outs to whiff Austin Spainhour, stranding Jake Faulkner at second. By then, Rocklin had built its 6-0 lead.

But of the first seven outs Eckels got, six were by strikeout. His brilliant stint allowed DHS to get even.

Nonetheless, the Thunder stuck its nose back in the contest in the seventh.

Two walks and a tough error loaded the bases with two down.

A friendly mound visit from Davis coach Dan Ariola was followed by Eckels getting the inning’s final out and setting the game-winning stage.

With Rocklin’s Hayden Hall on the mount and one down in the bottom of the frame, Hatamiya lined a single to left and Murray was hit by a pitch for the third straight at-bat. Then, Gnos’ looper evaded a diving Rocklin right fielder.

With the bases loaded, the outfield shallow and the Thunder drawn in at the corners, Young stepped up to the plate.

The senior third baseman hit a two-hopper to his counterpart Taylour Reidt. After a nice, charging dig, Reidt’s throw to home glanced off Hatamiya’s helmet. Hatamiya scored standing.

Game, set, match.

Eckels picked up the win in relief and, according to his coach, now gives the team a shot of adrenaline — as if the Blue Devils need such a thing after their last two wins (DHS scored five runs in the seventh and eighth innings on Tuesday to beat Pleasant Grove, 5-4).

“His return is huge,” Dan Ariola said afterward. “It lifts everybody. And he helps us, too, on offense. It’s great to have him back.”

Next up for Davis — weather willing — is a rescheduled home game with Napa on Saturday (11 a.m.). There is an 80 percent chance of rain at game time, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.

Notes: Lead-off hitter Hatamiya went 3-for-5, scored twice and drove in two. Gnos, Kreidler and Ariola each had two hits and Murray reached base four times after hitting a deep fly to right in the first inning. … Eckels allowed no hits, fanned eight and walked three in 3 1/3 innings of relief. … DHS Athletic Director Dennis Foster threw out a first pitch and 4-year-old Alessandra Trask carried the game ball to the mound at Raley Field. Speaking of the River Cats’ stadium, Davis will return Monday for a 6:30 p.m. makeup game against Jesuit (2-2).

— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at [email protected] or (530) 747-8047. View galleries and purchase prints of Blue Devil sports photos at http://davisenterprise.zenfolio.com

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DHS senior George Hatamiya, right, is lifted up by teammate Joe Murray after the Hatamiya scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning of the Blue Devils’ 7-6 victory over Rocklin on Thursday at Raley Field. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise photo

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