Olguin Provides Relief As Baseball Evens Series v. Mt. SAC

The Pasadena City College baseball team quickly wanted to turn the page from Tuesday's 15-run loss to Mt. San Antonio in its South Coast Conference opener. On Thursday, the Lancers did just that behind a superb relief performance by sophomore Benny Olguin, outstanding outfield defense, and a patient offense in defeating the Mounties, 10-5, at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Field.

PCC (9-4) overall evened the series with Mt. SAC (also 9-4) thanks to Olguin silencing a Mounties lineup that produced 24 runs in the opener. The right-hander relieved starter Ryan Graves in the third inning with the Lancers trailing 4-2. 

Olguin hurled 6.1 innings, allowing just four hits, one unearned run while striking out six. In the ninth, he struck out the side to move to 2-0.

Pasadena rallied with five runs in the fourth inning to take a 7-4 lead. Centerfielder Max Blessinger and shortstop Raider Tello hit back-to-back, bases-loaded RBI singles. Rightfielder Kenny Kim fought off a few fouls balls and drew a walk to score another run before third baseman Marco Martinez, who also went deep into the count, knocked in another run, reaching on a first baseman's fielding error. First baseman Jake Trabbie drew another bases-loaded walk to cap the rally.

PCC's outfield turned in some huge defensive plays including a highlight reel, over-the-shoulder diving catch by leftfielder Damien Ureta at the warning track that robbed CJ Ontiveros of a 2-run double in the first inning. Ureta made another diving catch, fighting off a sun ball, in the fifth. Blessinger robbed Elijah Pelayo of a would-be Mounties hit on a diving catch in short center field in the seventh inning. 

Pasadena's defense was suspect in the opener when the team was charged with nine errors and did have its shaky moments in this game, committing four more miscues. 

Blessinger finished 2-for-5 with two RBI while Tello was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Up 7-5, Pasadena added three insurance runs in the eighth, including RBI singles by second baseman Andrew Scannell and Ureta. 

In the SCC opener, a 24-9 defeat, Tello was 3-for-5, catcher Matt Rice 3-for-5 with a triple, and rightfielder Josh Hernandez batted 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. The 24 runs was the most allowed by a PCC team since 2012. 

PCC plays the rubber match of the series on Saturday, Feb. 26 in a 12 p.m. first pitch at Mt. SAC. 

Catcher Matthew Delgado fires a throw during Thursday's contest