Baseball Outlasts Santa Ana in Game One Slugfest

The Riverside City College baseball team hit the road for the first game of a three-game series against the Santa Ana College Dons on Tuesday afternoon. There were a combined 27 hits and 19 runs throughout the entire contest, but it was the Tigers who outlasted the Dons in an 11-8 slugfest to grab their fourth win in the last five games.

Riverside connected for 15 hits on the day while scoring at least one run in five innings. They began by scoring the first run of the game to set the tone compliments of a sacrifice flyout from sophomore left fielder Adrian Arechiga, scoring freshman catcher Anthony Gibbons, to take an early one run lead.

Santa Ana responded with two runs in the bottom of the first inning, but a three spot from the Tigers in the top of the third helped them regain the lead. With two outs in the inning, sophomore shortstop Sebastian Flores barreled a double to right-center field to score Arechiga who reached base via single. Freshman first baseman Bryce Cermenelli capped the inning and sent Flores home on a single to left field to grab a 3-2 lead.

The Tigers scored four more runs in the following inning starting with a lead off jack from sophomore third baseman Beau Betten. Arechiga followed four batters later with a single to left field, plating Gibbons, backed by a two-RBI double from freshman designated hitter Dominic Dominguez to score Arechiga and sophomore right fielder Matthew Bardowell.

The Tigers added four more runs in the seventh and eighth innings combined. One of the runs came on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Gibbons in the seventh inning. The other three runs came in the eighth inning starting with an RBI single from Flores. Freshman second baseman Robert Phelps followed with a bases loaded single, backed by Betten drawing a bases loaded hit by pitch, eventually leading to the 11-8 victory.

Riverside rolled out five pitchers with sophomore Hayden Coon earning the start. He lasted just four innings while allowing four runs on six hits which included giving up a two-run homerun in the top of the fifth inning.

Sophomore Rheego McIntosh relieved him and tossed 1.2 innings leading to a pair of strikeouts. He was bailed out of a bases-loaded jam by sophomore right hander Christopher Fields who recorded an inning-ending punchout. McIntosh earned the victory after just 1.2 innings pitched.

Freshman Matt Hudson had the most success out of the pen in 2.1 innings of action to close out the game. He fanned three batters.

Flores led the offense by going 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Arechiga went 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored, while Gibbons followed with a 2-for-5 day including an RBI, two runs scored and a walk.

Betten barreled two hits including his first-career round tripper, while Phelps pocketed a pair of base knocks.