WESTON RANCH — Weston Ranch High’s baseball team was on target with its pitching in its 2010 non-league opener against McNair Monday, but the other facets of the game have catching up to do.

Starter Antonio Joseph struck out 10 and gave up one earned run in five innings, but the Cougars lost, 5-4. McNair scratched across the winning run in the top of the seventh on a passed ball.

Sophomore Tyler Scharnow took the loss in relief, tossing two innings without giving up an earned run. Weston Ranch led 4-3 after five innings.

“They pitched well enough to win, worked ahead of the count and threw strikes,” Weston Ranch coach Dave Smith said. “We just didn’t execute.

“We didn’t do a very good job of taking the approach we do in practice, we have to take that into the game. Right now the game is moving a little too fast.”

Corey Lee accounted for two of Weston Ranch’s five hits and also plated a run. The Cougars were held to just five hits.

The Cougars will look to get even when they face McNair on the road Wednesday.

STOCKTON — Host Edison scored what ended up being the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning. The game was called before the start of the seventh.

The Cougars did well to bounce back from an early 3-0 deficit by rallying for all three of their runs in the fifth.

Michelle Lord was 2 for 3 with three steals to lead the way. Andrea Vega tripled in the fifth inning and plated Weston Ranch’s first run.

Serena Hernandez pitched all six innings for the Cougars, striking out four and scattering seven hits.

“I was very happy with the way we played,” Weston Ranch coach Melanie Berezay said. “We have lots of work to do, but for our first game they played well.”

Weston Ranch opens the Ceres Tournament Wednesday against Waterford at Rainbow Fields in Modesto.