State-Ranked Teams Use Power, Pitching To Send Baseball To 2 Defeats

The Pasadena City College baseball team enters the 24-game, South Coast Conference schedule this week on a downturn after consecutive losses to state #11 Riverside City and #23 Citrus.

The unranked Lancers are 5-6 overall, incredibly now one of eight of the nine teams in the SCC currently carrying below-.500 records as #6 El Camino is the lone squad with a winning record at 8-2. 

On Saturday (Feb. 14) v. Citrus in a contest at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Field, PCC grabbed a 4-2 lead in the second inning on a 3-run, line gap double to right-center field off the bat of shortstop Omar Cisneros. The Owls took a 6-5 advantage as Cole West launched a 3-run homer to right in the top of the sixth.

In the bottom of the frame, designated hitter Joaquin Salcedo lined a run-scoring triple to right that tied it at 6-6. In the seventh, Citrus' power bats continued as Beau Lloyd bombed another 3-run HR well over the left field fence and the Owls tacked on two more for a 5-run lead. 

In the ninth, PCC had a mild rally as Ricky Gonzales drew a bases-loaded walk, one of four base on balls for the Lancers in that inning, and Chris Torres, who had singled, then scored on a wild pitch. With the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate, Citrus closer Matthew Martinez struck out Xiovany Ochoa for the final out. 

Torres batted 3-for-5, leftfielder Jacob Escamilla was 2-for-3 with a RBI double, Gonzales was 1-for-3 with two walks, and Ochoa also reached base three times on a single and two walks. 

PCC's sixth pitcher Cadan Montes was the only hurler unscathed without a run allowed as he threw a 1-2-3 ninth. 

In two games v. PCC (the Lancers won 5-4 on the road on Jan. 24), Citrus lefty-batting first baseman Cam Casado was a thorn in the Lancers' side as he reached base in all eight of his plate appearances, batting 6-for-6 with a home run, double, a walk, a hit-by-pitch and seven runs scored. He was plated four times on Saturday, going 2-for-2. 

On Feb. 12, three Riverside pitchers limited PCC to just two hits in a 9-0 road defeat. Starter and winning pitcher Jake Valenzeula struck out eight batters and went 5.2 innings. Ochoa and Luke Bauer had the lone Lancers' singles. RCC scored three runs in the first and then six in the second to a blow it open. Riverside had four extra-base hits, including a double and triple by leadoff batter Luis Sosa.

PCC's late relievers were brightspots as Camren Lobo pitched three innings of 3-hit scoreless ball, then Jeremy Vargas did the same, allowing just one hit, no walks and striking out two. 

With rain in the forecast, the Lancers' 3-game series v. Cerritos, starting with Tuesday, Feb. 17 at home should be affected. Check the Lancers X site at @PCCAthletics and this website for updates on game status.