Win Over #8 Palomar Keeps Baseball With the State Elite

Ranked #11 in the state sports information directors poll, the Pasadena City College baseball team may be moving on up after knocking off #8 Palomar on the road, 11-6, on Saturday in a non-conference game. At 19-7 overall, the Lancers are off to their best start to a season since head coach Pat McGee took over the program in 2015.

Palomar (18-7) was rated #5 in the SoCal coaches regional poll and the Comets are #4 in the Massey Ratings, a statistical analytic rating of all CCCAA teams. PCC was eighth in both the Massey ratings and coaches regional poll. 

Winners of four straight and seven of their last eight, the Lancers trailed early 2-0, but notched five runs in the fifth to jump ahead 8-2. By game's end, PCC had six different players collect two hits or more, led by second baseman Andrew Scannell, who batted 3-for-5 with three RBI. His 2-run single in the fourth gave his team the lead for good at 3-2.

Designated hitter Raider Tello, the state leader in hits with 53, went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI, centerfielder Max Blessinger was 2-for-5 and scored his state-leading 39th run, leftfielder Aryonis Harrison hit 2-for-4 (also a walk and hit-by-pitch) with two RBI, shortstop Isaac Luevano batted 2-for-5 with two ribbies, and third baseman Toshiki Kuriya continued his hot streak by going 2-for-5. Kuriya is hitting .417 with six RBI in his last five games. 

Catcher Matthew Delgado was 1-for-3 with three runs scored and two walks while first baseman Jake Trabbie hit 1-for-3 and also reached base on two walks and a hit-by-pitch (plus a stolen base). 

The Lancers used five pitchers v. Palomar as Rider Gardner got the win in relief (two innings, three hits, one run). Hayden Zweig and Jakob Guardado each hurled scoreless single innings. 

This week, PCC is scheduled to play a 3-game, South Coast Conference series v. Compton College. Tomorrow's scheduled game at Compton will likely be postponed due to field conditions from today's heavy rain. PCC is 8-4 in the SCC, currently good for third place, trailing Mt. San Antonio (9-3) and East Los Angeles (11-4) in win percentage but having won both of their series against the two squads (2-games-to-1). Because the SCC is a 9-team conference, each team receives a bye and this past week was the Lancers bye week.

Check our official PCC Twitter site at: @PCCAthletics for the latest schedule changes due to the weather.

Toshiki Kuriya slides into third in a game last week