Relief Staff Stops Baseball's 4-Game Losing Streak

Ryan Graves didn't get credit for a win, or a save on Tuesday. But what the righthander did do was pitch the Lancers out of trouble in the five outs he recorded in the seventh and eighth innings in helping the Pasadena City College baseball team stop a 4-game losing streak by defeating Citrus, 7-4, at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Field.

The Lancers improved to 2-4 while Citrus dropped to 3-3.

Graves, a 6-foot-5 freshman from La Canada High, was called on by head coach Pat McGee with runners on first and third and one out in the eighth and PCC hanging on to a slim 5-4 lead. The bounceback from San Jose State immediately got Citrus' Tristan Thomas to hit a grounder in the left side hole. Shortstop Jacob Ogle fielded it cleanly then one-hopped a throw to second baseman Tyler Quintero who still made a nifty turn and throw to first baseman Marco Martinez for an inning-ending, threat-neutralized, 6-4-3 double play. 

Graves pitched a hitless eighth and sophomore Benny Olguin closed out the win by setting the side down in order with two strikeouts for the save. In all, four PCC relievers--Benny Torres (2.1 innings, one unearned run), Max Masucci (the mound win, 2.1 innings, one run), Graves and Olguin combined for 7.1 innings of sterling relief, allowing six hits, one earned run, three walks and five Ks. Masucci 

Trailing 3-1, the Lancers plated three runs in the fourth inning, including RBI singles by the All-American duo of Martinez and centerfielder Gabe Arellano, to grab a 4-3 advantage. Tied 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth, PCC scored what proved to be the game-winning run on a deep sacrifice fly by rightfielder Tai Walton. Ogle (2-for-5 with a double) singled to left, advanced to second on a wild pitch, alertly tagged up and raced to third on a highlight-reel, running catch down the line by Citrus first baseman Matthew Ramirez, and tagged up again for a 5-4 PCC lead. 

In the eighth, the Lancers scored two insurance runs when with the bases loaded, Ogle's fielder's choice grounder to second was thrown wildly past the bag for an error, scoring Arellano and leftfielder Aryonis Harrison, who each had drawn walks.  

Martinez was 1-for-2 with three walks while Arellano 1-for-3 with three runs scored and two free passes. The sophomore Martinez (batting .357 with a .615 on-base percentage) is currently the state leader in walks with 10 in five games. He already set the school record for walks last year with 36 and figures to break that mark again this season. 

PCC won for the first time in four attempts at its home diamond, and recorded its second win v. Citrus. In fact, going back to last season, the Lancers last three actual victories all came against the 210-Freeway rival Owls, including a SoCal Play-In Round game triumph in 2019. Against all other teams, PCC is on a 6-game overall losing streak. 

On Feb. 1, LA Valley won a slugfest over the Lancers, 18-11, in a SoCal Challenge Tournament game played at LA Harbor College. Designated hitter Thomas Kolling batted 3-for-5 with his second home run and two RBI. Ogle was 2-for-5 and reserve catcher Jaren Surdo 2-for-3. Harrison was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI and Walton slugged a triple. 

On Jan. 31 hosting the North region's No. 1-ranked team, the Lancers jumped out to a 7-2 lead over San Joaquin Delta after two innings. Delta caught PCC at 8-8, then scored two runs in each of the eighth and ninth innings to complete a 12-8, comeback win. Harrison was 3-for-5, Arellano 2-for-5, and Ogle 2-for-4 with two RBI. The Mustangs grabbed the lead on a Kevin Fitzgerald line drive single to center in the eighth. 

After six games, the team is averaging a hair under nine runs a contest, but allowing more than 10 runs a game (53 scored, 62 allowed). The lefty-hitting Kolling, a freshman from Los Osos High, tops PCC batters with a .385 average, two home runs, and nine RBI.  Masucci, a prep teammate of Kolling's at Los Osos, has been the team's most effective pitcher with a 1.59 ERA in 5.2 innings with five strikeouts in three appearances.  

PCC returns to action on Friday, Feb. 7 in a 2 p.m. road contest at College of the Desert.