Posted: Mar 12, 2013
Tigers Win at Home, 9-2, over Santa Ana
Santa Ana
(14-4, 3-3)
2
Riverside
(14-6, 4-2)
9
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Santa Ana | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
|
Riverside | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | X | 9 | 8 | 0 |
RIVERSIDE – Spotting the visitors an early lead, the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers men's baseball team roared back and pounded out a 9-2 Orange Empire Conference (OEC) home win over the visiting Santa Ana College Dons Tuesday afternoon at the Evans Sports Complex.
The win for Riverside City (14-6, 4-2 OEC) was its eighth in its last ten games. Santa Ana fell to 14-4, 3-3 in the OEC.
After RCC took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Santa Ana responded with two in the third, only to see the Tigers roar back with three runs in the sixth and five runs in the seventh.
In the fateful sixth, sophomore 1B Daniel Arellano (Moreno Valley – Canyon Springs HS) singled to center and freshman LF David Schuknecht (Palm Desert – Palm Desert HS / U. of Arizona) blooped a single into short left field as Arellano raced to third. Sophomore third-baseman Ricardo Rodriguez (Moreno Valley – Canyon Springs HS) received credit for an infield single when his bounding ball deep to third base forced third-baseman Daniel Martinez (John F. Kennedy HS) to back up and try for a force at second, but his throw as Arellano scored.
After a sacrifice bunt and a walk loaded the bases, another walk forced in the go-ahead run. Freshman catcher Michael Deceglie (Rancho Cucamonga – Los Osos HS) hit a groundball to third for another difficult chance and an infield single which drove in Rodriguez and gave the Tigers a 4-2 lead.
In the seventh, a bases-loaded pinch hit single by freshman Joshua Clark (Los Angeles – Hillcrest Christian HS) drove in two runs and a triple to deep right-center field by sophomore CF Cody Stewart (Temecula – Great Oak HS / UC Riverside) drove in two more for Riverside.
Sophomore LF J.B. Bryant (Mater Dei HS) and sophomore 1B Tyler Madrid (Garden Grove) drove in single runs for Santa Ana on a single and groundout, respectively, in the third inning.
RCC sophomore RHP Blake Burrell (Moreno Valley – Canyon Springs HS) came on in relief of starting LHP Kenny Mathews (Diamond Bar – Diamond Bar HS / CSU Fullerton) in the third inning. He allowed only five hits (no runs) over the next 4-2/3 innings to gain the win and improve to 2-0. SAC sophomore RHP reliever Travis Hawley (Valencia HS) allowed three runs (all earned) on four hits in 2.0 innings and was charged with the loss (1-1).
Both teams continue OEC play on Thursday, Mar. 14, at 2 p.m. RCC will host the Saddleback College Gauchos, while Santa Ana will host the Cypress College Chargers.