The Pioneer Valley baseball team knew it wanted to build on last season.

It finished in last place in the Sunset League.

But the Panthers know the importance of team chemistry.

“We have to play as a team,” junior catcher Ivan Enriquez said. “We have more chemistry than we did last year.”

After three games last week and the fifth overall since the season began, coach Cody Smith likes what he sees despite dropping Thursday’s game to Sierra.

“You challenge these kids early by playing this many games over a two week stretch,” he said, following a 5-4 loss at home. “You have to find out what you got if you want to play into June.”

“It’s tough because in high school you don’t get a full fall and you don’t even get a full three months of spring practice. You get three weeks of pseudo spring training and then you have to go out and compete.”

Pioneer Valley competed on the mound as starting pitcher Kameron Owen started the game strong.

He gave up a pair of runs in the second inning but settled down and let his offense get back into it.

Junior third baseman Julian Valdez singled to lead off the bottom of the second inning and came around to score on a wild pitch.

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The Chieftains added an unearned run in the third inning following a pair of errors on the infield but once again the Panthers responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning when senior Eddie Ponce came around to score.

The Panthers might be young with just six seniors on their roster but that doesn’t be they don’t have experience.

Enriquez played in 21 games as a sophomore and hit a team-high .346 with a double and eight RBIs in 78 plate appearances. He hit a RBI single in there bottom of the fifth inning to tie the score at 3-3.

“We competed,” Smith said. “Our pitchers threw the ball well and gave us some opportunities to win.”

But with the bases loaded Sierra laced a 2-RBI single off of Julian Medina to regain the lead.

Pioneer Valley scored a run in the sixth and had a chance in the bottom of the seventh when Ponce sat at third base as the tying run but couldn’t drive him in.

“We showed we have to focus on putting the ball in play,” Enriquez said. “We had too many strikeouts and we took way too many pitches we could have done damage with.”

Smith knows chemistry doesn’t come overnight. There’s plenty of chances early in the season and even before league play starts.

The Panthers had a game against Golden West on Friday but results were not available at press time.

Pioneer Valley will travel to Cabrillo on Tuesday and then play at Santa Maria next Thursday. The game against the Saints kicks off Sunset League play.