The Pasadena City College baseball team snapped a 3-game, South Coast Conference losing streak behind a great relief job by lefty Alex Valencia and a patient offense that scored its final four runs without benefit of a single hit. The Lancers won it, 7-6, on a RBI fielder's choice, walk-off RBI grounder by Joaquin Salcedo.
PCC got back over the .500 mark at 16-15 and improved to 9-7 in SCC play, now fourth place in the league.
The Lancers mustered just two hits all day but took advantage of Harbor's wildness on the mound.
Trailing 6-3 in the fifth, Pasadena turned to the freshman Valencia, who was brilliant in picking up his third mound win as he hurled 5.2 innings of 3-hit, shutout ball, allowing just one walk.
While Valencia shut down the Seahawks offense, PCC chipped away at the deficit with two runs in the eighth. Pinch hitting, Salcedo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded that scored one run, followed by a free pass walk to Logan Parker that cut it to 6-5.
In the ninth, Omar Cisneros drew a walk, Nathan Longoria was hit by a pitch, and Chris Torres accepted a walk that loaded the bases. Isaac Ton also stayed patient to draw a run-scoring base on balls that tied it. Salcedo followed by with hard hit grounder that was stopped by a diving Harbor third baseman Aiden Brasher. His throw to second recorded the second out, but the bid for a double play to extend the game was halted as Salcedo beat the throw to first.
Longoria scored the winning run as the team celebrated the comeback.
PCC's lone hits were off Harbor starting pitcher Ryan Torii, who hurled seven effective innings but was lifted after a lead-off walk in the eighth. Parker ripped a RBI double off the right-center field fence in the second inning and Torres lined a run-scoring single to center in the third. Pasadena totaled 10 walks, three hit by pitches and also benefited from two wild pitches.
The Lancers were coming off being swept in a 3-game series by defending 3C2A state champion and current state #29 ranked Mt. San Antonio. PCC lost two close battles, including a hard-luck, 9-8 defeat in 12 innings in the opener. Pasadena led 8-7 with two outs in the ninth, but an infield error tied it for the Mounties, who won in the third extra frame on a RBI single by Ryan Castro.
Diego Gurfein batted 3-for-6 with a double, a triple and three RBI, Xiovany Ochoa was 3-for-7 with a double while Luke Bauer, Cisneros, Ton and Jacob Escamilla all delivered two hits.
In the finale, PCC led 2-0 in the seventh but Mt. SAC rallied with one in that frame and two more runs in the eighth for a 3-2 win. Bauer went 2-for-4 and Ton drove in both Lancers runs. Jonathan Bracamonte kept the Mt. SAC bats down by pitching six innings of 7-hit ball, allowing only one run.
This Thursday, April 9, PCC travels to face the Seahawks at Banning High for a 7 p.m. night contest. Harbor is playing off campus after wind damage made its on-campus home field unplayable. PCC also has moved Saturday's finale to Friday, April 10 (2 p.m.) due to the forecast of rain for this weekend.