Nine-Run, 9th Inning Gives Baseball Series Win Over ELAC

For eight innings, the Pasadena City College and host East Los Angeles baseball teams battled it out in a tense series finale that had the Lancers hanging on to a slim, 5-4 lead. By the time the top of the ninth finished, PCC turned a nailbiter into a blowout, scoring nine runs and routing the Huskies, 14-4. The Lancers won the South Coast Conference-opening series, 2-games-1.

First baseman Jake Trabbie lined a 3-run triple in the ninth-inning fiesta and had a banner afternoon-evening (finished under the lights at 7:30 p.m.) in going 4-for-5 (a home run shy of the cycle) and driving in four RBI.

In the ninth, pinch hitter Amaris Harrison and third baseman Toshiki Kuriya added RBI singles while pinch hitter Ivan Barragan and leftfielder Aryonis Harrison (Amaris' older brother) each drew bases-loaded walks to produce runs. Centerfielder Tommy Castillo, a late-inning replacement ri centerfield, was hit by a pitch to bring in another run. 

The game was postponed from Saturday and had start times of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. delayed until the rain finally stopped by the 4:16 start. The Lancers upped their record to 9-5 overall while East LA fell to 3-11. PCC and El Camino were the only teams to post two wins in the 9-team, SCC during the conference's first week of play that saw five teams not able to complete their series due to the heavy rain that has engulfed Los Angeles County. 

PCC scored five runs in the second inning to take a 5-1 lead thanks in part to two Huskies' throwing errors and a 2-RBI double to the right field wall by catcher Matthew Delgado. East LA chipped away at that lead and cut it to one run in the sixth. With no outs and the bases loaded, winning pitcher Jakob Guardado (2-1) received two defensive outfield gems to keep the Lancers ahead.

Aryonis Harrison made a remarkable sliding catch crashing into the third base line fence. The play resulted in a sacrifice fly and a run, but left runners at first and second for the first out of the frame. The next batter was ELAC leadoff hitter Ruben Gonzalez, who lifted a fly ball in short center. PCC's second baseman Alex Dolan lost the ball in the lights, but centerfielder Damien Ureta came out of nowhere to make a shoestring catch for out #2. Guardado then struck out the next batter to preserve the 1-run advantage. 

Guardado pitched six innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs with four Ks. Closer Rider Gardner was lights out in relief as he hurled three innings of 1-hit shutout ball with also four strikeouts for his state-leading fourth save. 

"Our outfielders made some big plays," said PCC head coach Pat McGee. "Going back to his first season in 2019, Aryonis has been making highlight reel catches for us. That's an out we needed in that situation. Damien had never started in centerfield, but showed poise and came up strong defensively. Pitching-wise we got Jakob showing his heart to get through that sixth inning for us and then let Rider do his thing. Rider is in a zone and has great command of his pitches. We had premium at bats by a number of different players, especially in that ninth."

Also making clutch plays on defense were Josh Hernandez, who made a sliding catch on a hot smash in the fifth, and Delgado, who scooped up a pitch Gardner bounced off the artificial turf near home plate then spun and gunned out an ELAC runner trying to advance to second base in the seventh. The victim on both plays was ELAC catcher Michael Easter, who hit hard shots all game in batting 3-for-5 with two line drive doubles. 

ELAC's ace Francisco Dominguez was the hard-luck losing pitcher after hurling seven innings, allowing just one earned run (four unearned) while striking out 11 PCC batters. The righty struck out the side in the seventh. 

In a 15-hit attack, Ureta batted 2-for-5 with a line double off the left field fence, Kuriya was 2-for-5, Delgado 2-for-6, and Dolan was 2-for-3. For the sixth time this season. PCC reached at least 10 runs in a game.

The Lancers started a 3-game set at El Camino today (Feb. 28) and will face the Warriors again on Thursday, Mar. 2 and Saturday, Mar. 4. The final two games are at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Field after the team agreed to switch locations for the series opener.