ELAC Baseball Holds Off Chaffey and Wins Series
MONTEREY PARK, CA — The East Los Angeles College baseball team rallied from deficits and won 4-3 today and 7-6 yesterday over Chaffey College winning a three-game South Coast Conference North Division series.
The Huskies outhit Chaffey 15-7 yesterday in Rancho Cucamonga and finished with a dramatic win in the bottom of the ninth. ELAC had nine hits in a 9-6 loss at home on Tuesday.
Sophomore pitcher Steven Nuno (Warren High School) earned the win today. He struck out five batters and picked off one. He has a 2.23 earned run average. After the Huskies scored in the second), Nuno retired the side in the third with three strikeouts.
In the sixth, freshman second baseman Grant Victor (St. Francis HS) singled and the Huskies scored two runs unearned. Nuno allowed only one more hit as did freshman pitcher Andres Alonso (Cathedral HS), who earned his second save.
In the win yesterday, Chaffey led 2-0 and 4-2. ELAC fought back for a three-run seventh inning and took a 7-4 lead. Chaffey scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth and closed the gap to 7-6. Freshman pitcher Josh Jorgensen (Lakewood HS), who entered in the eighth, closed the game with two of his three strikeouts for his first save. Jorgensen has 17 strikeouts in 16 total innings.
Sophomore Zech Jarrard (Temple City HS) (5-0) was the winning pitcher and struck out five. His 5-0 record ranks in at No. 14 in the state.
In the 9-6 loss, the Huskies could not overcome Chaffey’s six-run fourth inning outburst. Freshman pitcher Paul Kosanovich (Temple City HS) took the loss and stands at 2-3 overall. He struck out three batters as did ELAC pitchers Alonso and freshman Diego Sanchez (Alhambra HS).
Stat Sheet
Each team had five hits in ELAC’s 4-3 win. Freshman first baseman Bryan Duenas (Warren HS), who has a batting average of .342, doubled (3 RBIs). Victor, who leads the Huskies with 33 total hits, doubled & singled, sophomore third baseman Oscar Osorio (Charter Oak HS) and Jarrard each singled. Five Chaffey batters each had a hit.
In the 7-6 win, seven Huskies rung up the 15 hits. Duenas led the Husky muscle with four hits. He doubled twice and singled twice (2 RBIs). Victor and Jarrard each singled twice (RBI each). Sosa, who pounds out a .372 batting average, singled three times. Osorio singled twice.
Sophomore catcher Julian Zermeno (Alhambra HS) and Nuno each singled and freshman center fielder Ruben Hernandez (Walnut HS) hit a sacrifice fly (RBI). Second baseman Evan Rice tripled and singled twice for Chaffey. Teammate Seamus Fallon hit a two-run homerun.
In the loss, Duenas slammed a single (2 RBIs) and Nuno doubled (RBI). Jarrard doubled and singled (RBI) as did Victor. Sophomore center fielder Elias Maldonado (Northview HS) singled as well as Sosa and Hernandez.
UP NEXT
The Huskies, who have won six out of their last eight games, play in the annual Allan Hancock College Spring Classic next week in a three-day tournament.
ELAC (15-11) opens play against Hancock (13-12), who is ranked No. 12 in the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association's South Regional Poll, on Tuesday, March 26 set for 3 p.m.
On Wednesday, ELAC meets Merced College (16-7) who ranked No. 13 in the state at 1 p.m. On Thursday, the Huskies meet College of the Canyons (15-9), ranked No 9 in the South, at noon.
ELAC’s games are at Elks Field located at 600 S. McClelland Street in Santa Maria.
Follow ELAC Athletics at http://athletics.elac.edu/landing/index or on Facebook at ELAC Huskies Athletics (@elachuskiesathletics).
story submitted by Tadzio Garcia