No. 14 (CCCBCA South poll) East Los Angeles College freshman Steve Nuno belts a double in a 7-5 loss to No. 4 Saddleback College in the 2018 Baseball Southern California Regional Bracket playoffs. (Photo by Tadzio Garcia)
No. 14 (CCCBCA South poll) East Los Angeles College freshman Steve Nuno belts a double in a 7-5 loss to No. 4 Saddleback College in the 2018 Baseball Southern California Regional Bracket playoffs. (Photo by Tadzio Garcia)
Posted: May 05, 2018

No. 14 Seed ELAC Baseball Ousted in Regional Bracket 7-5

MISSION VIEJO, CA — The East Los Angeles College baseball team was ousted from the Southern California Regional Bracket Round One with a tough 7-5 loss in 11 innings to No. 3-seed Saddleback College.

ELAC, No. 14th-ranked team in the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association South Region Poll, ended its season 21-19 and tied for second place in the South Coast Conference. No. 4 Saddleback improves to 30-12 and hosts Palomar College (28-15), champion of the Pacific Coast Conference, in Round 2.

In a game of inches, the Huskies rallied from a 3-1 deficit and took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of sixth inning, only to fall behind 5-4 entering the bottom of the ninth.

With one out, sophomore left fielder Steven Nuno (Warren HS) smashed a home run over the right field fence and tied it 5-5. The large ELAC contingent drowned the stadium with noise and continued when the Huskies loaded the bases. With the go-ahead run at third, freshman Grant Victor (St. Francis HS) reached first on a fielder’s choice, but Saddleback was quick to respond with ball bouncing right to them for a double play at third base and at home plate. Saddleback scored two runs in the 11th inning for the win.

ELAC lost the opening game of the best-of-three 16-5. It was an off day for Husky pitchers as three of them allowed nine walks and hit four Gauchos at bat.

DAWG TRACKS

Both teams pounded 11 hits in the game today. Nuno led the Huskies with his one-run homer and a double. He had four runs batted in. Sophomore catcher Matthew Shults’ (South Pasadena HS) sacrifice in the sixth got the other Husky RBI.

Sophomore right fielder Logan Gibbons (Taylorsville, UT / Taylorsville HS) belted three singles, sophomore third baseman Oscar Osorio (Charter Oak HS) doubled and singled and freshman first baseman Bryan Duenas (Warren HS) singled.

On the mound, sophomore Zech Jarrard (Temple City HS) pitched 6.2 innings, walked three and struck out three. Jarrard also singled twice.

Relief pitching came from freshman Josh Jorgensen (Lakewood HS) who struck out three in 1.1 innings, sophomore Thomas Escobedo (Northview HS) who struck out one Gaucho in one third of an inning in the circle, freshman pitcher Diego Sanchez (Alhambra HS) who stuck out one batter in two-thirds of an inning and freshman Luis Ramos (Venice HS) who walked one and struck out one in two innings.

Saddleback was led on offense by sophomore’s right fielder Chad Crosbie and third baseman Spencer Heinsius who each hit twice.

In the loss, several Huskies powdered a dozen hits. Nuno, who hit a team-high six hits in the series, pounded two doubles and two singles (RBI).  Sophomore Matthew Sosa (Whittier HS), who led the Huskies offense this season with a team-high .353 batting average, tripled and singled.

Designated hitter Jarrard doubled and singled, sophomore center fielder Elias Maldonado (Northview HS) singled (RBI) as did freshman catcher Julian Zermeno (Alhambra HS), Duenas and Osorio.

Follow ELAC Athletics at http://athletics.elac.edu/landing/index or on Facebook at ELAC Huskies Athletics (@elachuskiesathletics).    

 

story submitted by Tadzio Garcia