Nine-Run 5th Inning Helps Baseball Rout Cypress

So far so good for the 2022 Pasadena City College baseball team. The Lancers moved to 2-0 on the young season thanks to a 9-run fifth inning in their second straight road victory, 15-5 at Cypress College Friday afternoon.

The Lancers figure to have a potent hitting attack this season and it showed v. Cypress with transfer shortstop Raider Tello leading the team's attack by batting 3-for-6, plus a double and two RBI.

PCC is also happy to have back returning third baseman from 2020--Marco Martinez, who was 2-for-6 with two RBI. An All-American, All-State selection as a freshman in 2019, Martinez was a late bounceback to the program after originally earning a scholarship to Cal State Fullerton. A head coaching change altered Martinez prospects and he decided to return to PCC, taking advantage of getting back his sophomore year of eligibility after the '20 season was cut short to 21 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Pasadena sent 14 batters to the plate in the fifth inning as both Tello and first baseman Jake Trabbie had two hits in the frame and season-opening hero/rightfielder Kenny Kim singled and drew a walk as well. The long inning included Cypress pitchers walking in three runs and hitting a batter to bring in another as PCC loaded the bases eight different times. Trabbie's 2-RBI single to left capped the scoring bonanza as the Lancers led 12-1 going into the bottom of the inning. Trabbie finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Catcher Matthew Delgado also made his PCC debut, batting 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs as was the exact performance by leftfielder Yuto Mimura. Transfer centerfielder Max Blessinger was 2-for-5 and stole a base and Kim, who was 1-for-4 with two walks, scored four runs. 

Lancers starting pitcher Casey Popham earned the victory with four innings (by NCAA prearrangement rule, announced before game a starter in this instance does not have to go required five innings) of 2-hit, 1-run ball and sophomore lefty Chase Pedersen closed out the game as he struck out five batters in 2.2 innings of 2-hit shutout relief. 

PCC will play on its home diamond, Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Field (next to Rose Bowl) for the first time since March 5, 2020 when it opens the South Coast Conference Crossover Tournament with a 2 p.m. game v. Pierce College.