Bacon Wraps ELAC In Baseball Series Finale

Joe Bacon came within an out of a complete game, limiting East Los Angeles to six hits as the Pasadena City College baseball team salvaged the final game of its 3-game set v. the Huskies, 8-4, on Saturday. The South Coast Conference contest was played at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Field.

Bacon improved his mound record to 6-3 while PCC settled at 1-2 in the series. The Lancers improved to 17-14 overall and got back to .500 in the SCC standings at 9-9. They currently stand in fourth place with six conference games remaining. 

After allowing two runs in the first inning, the freshman Bacon retired the next eight straight batters in order. Allowing a walk and single in the fourth, Bacon again got on a roll as he set down 12 in a row. The right-hander was touched for two late runs in the ninth before reliever Ben Griffith was called on to strikeout Damion Johnson to close out the victory. 

The Lancers offense was steady, scoring two runs in each of the first, second and fourth innings. PCC led 7-2 by the end of the fourth and coasted from there thanks to Bacon's efficient pitching.

Shortstop Jack Esguerra batted 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored while first baseman Adrian Roman rocked a triple, batting 2-for-5 with three RBI. Leftfielder Thomas Villanueva went 2-for-3 and two RBI (plus two walks and a stolen base) and second baseman Ryan Ivanyi was 2-for-4. Rightfielder Trevor Scott added a double (1-for-3). 

On Thursday at ELAC, PCC wasted another outstanding performance by Jameson Ferraro (5-3), who allowed just two earned runs in an eight-inning, complete game, during a 4-1 defeat. Huskies starter Michael Rabelero outdueled Ferraro with a 9-inning, complete game, scattering eight hits and walking one batter (four Ks). 

Third baseman Bryan Richman knocked in the team's lone run on a fifth-inning double (thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple). Designated hitter Evan Nahra was 2-for-4 with a double and Richman also finished with two hits. 

Poor defense led to three of ELAC's runs, two after an infield error in the first inning and another on a passed ball in the third that gave the Huskies a 3-0 lead. 

Ferraro is second in the SCC in ERA at 1.81 in a team-high 64.2 innings of work while Bacon is fourth in wins with Ferraro tied for fifth.

Richman continues to be second in the conference overall batting race at .389 while Esguerra is third with a .387 mark. Esguerra and Roman are tied for most hits among SCC players with 48 each, Richman tops the conference in runs scored with 39 and is third in on-base percentage at .510.  

On Tuesday, April 9, the Lancers open a 3-game series at Compton College (2 p.m.). The series continues on Thursday, April 11 at Brookside (2 p.m.), then closes on Saturday, April 13 back at Compton in a 12 noon first pitch.