Baseball Making Strides As South Coast Conference Schedule Opens Feb. 18

The Pasadena City College baseball team is 5-2 in its last seven games and in the process reached the .500 mark after a slow start to the 2020 season. The Lancers (6-6 record) are getting quality pitching, especially from its bullpen, to go with some impressive hitting. On Tuesday, Feb. 18, PCC embarks on its 24-game, South Coast Conference schedule at it starts a 3-game series v. Rio Hondo College.

The Lancers will host the Roadrunners in a 2:30 p.m. SCC contest at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Field. The South Coast has a different look than previous seasons with the return of a one league, 9-team conference after being split in 5-team divisions the past three years. During that stretch, PCC collected its first-ever SCC titles in 2017 and then last season. With the North Division and South Division no more, the pre-season, SoCal #15-rated Lancers will now battle for the coveted automatic postseason bid for first place with the likes of 2019 state runner-up El Camino, always tough Long Beach City, and one of the strongest Mt. San Antonio teams in recent memory. 

The other 3-game sets against Rio Hondo, up-and-coming Cerritos, LA Harbor, East Los Angeles, and Compton have proven to be hard-fought battles over the years as well. 

"All the games counted toward your conference standing in the previous years in cross-division play, so now it's just that the placing itself becomes the most important thing," said PCC head coach Pat McGee. "The South Coast race is going to be challenging, but we are playing some good baseball right now. We need to keep going forward."

PCC defeated Merced, 6-3, on Saturday with solid pitching efforts from starter and winner Cody Crowder (5.1 innings, six hits, two earned runs), middle reliever Max Masucci (1.1 innings, one unearned run), and closer Benny Torres (2.1 shutout innings, one hit), who earned the save after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh and stranding two runners on in the eighth. In five appearances, the sophomore Torres has an 0.87 ERA in 10.1 innings hurled, allowing just seven hits and recording eight strikeouts.

In the second inning, PCC jumped ahead, 2-0, on a RBI groundout from centerfielder Gabe Arellano and a line run-scoring single to left center from offensive juggernaut and third baseman Marco Martinez. Second baseman Moises Nolasco Sanchez added a RBI basehit to center in the third and then scored on a wild pitch that made it 4-0. After Merced trimmed the score to 5-3, lefty designated hitter Thomas Kolling delivered an insurance RBI with an opposite field single in the eighth.

Hot-hitting shortstop Jacob Ogle picked up two hits after having an 8-game hitting streak end in an 8-1 loss at Cypress College on Feb. 13. Since Jan. 31, Ogle is batting .410 with seven multiple-hit games out of nine played. Arellano and first baseman Dino Miranda also collected two hits each in the Merced victory. 

Martinez was intentionally walked in his last two plate appearances as his state-leading base on balls total reached 17 (tied with two others). He is third in state on-base percentage (.596) and his 18 RBI is tied for fifth in that category. Arellano is tied for ninth in runs scored with 16 plate crossings. Team-wise, Miranda is the current batting average leader at .394 (in eight games), then Martinez at .382, Kolling .380 (and 15 RBI), and Ogle .360.

ELEVEN STRAIGHT LANCERS REACH BASE IN PALOMAR WIN 

On Feb. 12 trailing 8-4 at region #3-rated Palomar, the Lancers put together an amazing rally with one out in the eighth inning. PCC scored eight runs as 11 consecutive Lancers reached base safely on four doubles, three singles, three walks and a hit by pitch. The offensive explosion gave Pasadena a 12-8 road win. 

Arellano walked to start the sequence and after two wild pitches was doubled in by Martinez. Miranda hit a double followed by a third straight double to plate two runs by Kolling. Catcher Jaren Surdo singled in Kolling, followed by a single by leftfielder Aryonis Harrison, then a RBI basehit by Ogle. After second baseman Erik Lewis was hit by a pitch, rightfielder Jayden Scott earned a bases-loaded walk for another run. Arellano's second at bat of the inning went for a 2-RBI double. Martinez finished the march around the bases with a walk. The Comets used five pitchers in the inning before finally recording the final two outs when Miranda grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

Torres pitched 2.2 innings of 2-hit shutout relief with four Ks for the pitching victory. Ogle and Miranda each had three hits in the 15-hit overall attack.