Fullerton Ends Lancers Baseball Playoff Run

Fullerton College, the #9 seed, swept the #16 Pasadena City College baseball team in their best-of-3, Southern California Regional First Round playoff series on May 3-4. The Lancers season ends at 23-18 in advancing to the postseason for the sixth consecutive complete season.

PCC lost 8-2 in the opener on Friday, then Fullerton downed the Lancers, 3-1, in Saturday's second game. 

In the opener, freshman centerfielder Tyler Garcia slugged a 2-run homer over the left field fence in the fifth inning for the team's lone runs. Lefty freshman Alex Saucedo hurled three solid innings of relief, allowing just one hit, a run and a walk.

Fullerton's Britton Beeson hit two home runs, including a 2-run shot in the first inning, and knocked in four RBI while Ryan Kirk also homered. The Lancers were limited to just four hits, including a double by sophomore shortstop Jack Esguerra, as Hornets winning pitcher Matt Romero threw seven strong innings.

In the second contest, frosh rightfielder Bryan Richman roped a RBI triple to center that cut Fullerton's lead to 2-1 in the fifth inning. The Hornets then brought in reliever Andrew Carren who got out of the inning by getting Garcia to ground out to shortstop. Carren (proceeded to throw 1-2-3 innings in the sixth, seventh, and eighth and retired 12 straight batters before freshman first baseman Adrian Roman singled up the middle.

Freshman designated hitter Evan Nahra came up as the potential tying run, but grounded to the pitcher that ended the game and season for PCC.

PCC's pitchers kept down the Fullerton bats thanks to first-year starter Joe Bacon (six innings, five hits, two runs, worked around six walks and a hit batsman) and sophomore closer Ben Griffith (three innings, two hits, three strikeouts). 

The big hit of the game occurred in the fourth when Fullerton's Trevor Schmidt delivered a 2-run single through the left side to break a scoreless duel. 

Second-year third baseman Jaden Guzman was 1-for-3 with a run scored while sophomore transfer catcher Mark Manuel had hits in both games as did Richman. 

Esguerra, who hit .383 in 40 games, was one of three Lancers who reached 60 hits this season as he paced the squad with 64 along with 12 doubles and team-best 31 RBI. Richman led the team in batting at .387, on-base percentage (.497), runs scored (47), walks (27), stolen bases (nine) and added 30 RBI. He finished with 60 hits as did Roman, who hit .343 and added 27 RBI. 

Nahra batted .306 and was a power source tying for the team lead in doubles (12) and triples (three) while hitting two home runs (19 RBI) and topping PCC in slugging percentage (.551). Garcia led the team in home runs with three and also knocked in 19 runs.

The pitching staff was paced by sophmore transfer starter Jameson Ferraro, who finished with an 8-4 record, a 2.31 ERA in 89.2 innings and led the team with 59 strikeouts. Bacon was 7-4 in 71.1 innings and Griffith led the team in appearances with 18 and totaled seven saves. 

The 2-year community college careers finished for Esguerra, Guzman, Griffith, second baseman Ivan Barragan, outfielder Evan Coad, and relievers Jacob Fox and Justin Goldman. Ferraro and Manuel played one season for the Lancers. 

PCC head coach Pat McGee has a 183-160 career record in nine seasons as his teams have posted an average of 25 wins in each of the last six complete seasons (2020 was shortened due to the pandemic, no season in 2021) with postseason appearances in all six.