Forsan’s Buffaloes made the change of scenary appear simple Tuesday in their season opener. The Buffs played a solid all-around game, defeating McCamey, 7-3.

The Buffs played it smart on the mound as Head Coach Jason Phillips used the guys who didn’t have to make a change in what sport they were focused on. Ray Martinez earned the win, striking out eight batters and giving up three runs — one earned — on four hits in six innings of work. Dylan Lowery retired the final three batters of the game in the seventh, striking out two.

“The two guys we used on the mound today have been out here everyday, so their arms are in the best shape right now,” Phillips said. “Both guys were great for a season opener.”

McCamey scored one unearned run in the top of the first inning, but didn’t register another hit until the sixth as Martinez allowed just one base runner from the second inning to the fifth.

The Buffs, meanwhile, showed both patience and power at the plate. Forsan drew seven walks and had five hits. However, three of those five hits went for extra bases, including two triples.

“We were really belting the ball,” Phillips said. “I thought we hit the ball extremely well and weren’t swinging at many bad pitches.”

Trailing 1-0, Forsan got on the scoreboard in the second inning with a two-out rally. Spencer Briggs drew a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and was knocked in by a Jeremy Robbins single.

The Buffs added two more runs in the third. Lowery, running for Zach Herrin, stole second base and scored a pitch later when Evan Burton hit a triple to right field. Adam Bailey knocked Burton in with a fielder’s choice to first base, giving Forsan a 3-1 lead.

Forsan’s patience at the plate paid off in the fifth inning. Herrin and Burton each drew walks , putting runners on first and second with one out. Bailey then picked up his second and third RBIs, making McCamey pay for the free passes with a triple to the right field fence. He eventually scored on a wild pitch, giving the Buffs a 6-1 advantage.

McCamey tightened things up in the top of the sixth inning, taking advantage of two throwing errors from the Buffs. McCamey’s first three batters reached base with hits, including a leadoff double. One run scored on an errant throw from the outfield and two more runners moved into scoring position on another bad throw.

However, with runners on second and third and no outs, Martinez shut down McCamey’s lineup when it mattered most. He retired the next three batters and surrendered just one more run on a sacrifice fly to right field.

“Our fielding was solid for most of the game,” Phillips said. “We kicked the ball around a little in the sixth, but that should be expected some with it being the first game of the season. We made the plays when we had to.”

Forsan scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth when Jeremy Freitag took off for third after being picked off at second. McCamey’s shortstop made a bad throw and Freitag took advantage of the error, sliding safely into home.

The Buffs (1-0) play in the Wall Tournament, starting Thursday. Phillips is placing the most importance on getting the players adjusted to the baseball season.

“Most of the guys out here were playing basketball last week. We’ve got to get them ready for the rest of the season,” Phillips said. “I want to get our other pitchers’ arms ready. They’ll see some action, but I’ll keep them on a tight pitch count. As the season goes on, our top four guys from last season will move more into the rotation.”

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