HANZ HARKER MAKES THINGS DARKER FOR LA VALLEY

By MATTHEW ROBINSON

The Los Angeles Valley College Monarchs already are in a tight space as far as getting an invite to the Southern California JUCO playoffs. Then if that wasn't enough, Bakersfield outfielder HANZ HARKER with his performance at the plate further clouded the Monarchs' playoff hopes.

The Renegades (20-11 overall, 11-5 Western States South Conference) used Harker's batting theatrics and freshman pitcher HUDSON HARTLEY'S impressive pitching, to shutout the Monarchs 7-0 on the road.

Harker late in the game, was responsible for a two-run home run and an RBI that helped give the Renegades an insurmountable 6-0 lead.

But not to be outdone by Harker's heroics was the pitching talents of Hartley, who pitched the entire game. He pitched a complete game shutout to give him a 5-5 record in 2016. In his nine innings of work today, he allowed no runs and six hits.

The Monarchs (17-14 overall, 8-8 WSS) on other hand were hamstrung today by a lack of consistent hitting, leaving runners stranded on base, and of course them having to put up with the Gades' pitching.

Monarchs pitcher JESSE HOBAICA worked 7⅓ innings today. But he was bludgeoned by the Gades' 9 hits, 5 runs, and not to mention the 83° weather today in Valley Glen. Hobaica was taken out of the game at the top of the seventh inning.

His replacement, GUS ROMERO-ALVAREZ didn't fare much better as he allowed 4 hits and 2 runs in 1⅔ innings of work.

Meanwhile, the Renegades furthered their lead with outfielder BROOKS DOUGLASS hitting an infield single that scored his teammate PATRICK REYNIER from third base for a 2-0 lead. The Gades furthered that lead when LUIS MARTINEZ hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Reynier to give the Gades a 3-0 lead at the top of the fifth inning.

The Gades upped their lead to 5-0 when Harker smacked a two-run homer to right field that scored him and Douglass in the top of the seventh inning. That was Harker's second home run of the year and it was that two-run shot that closed the door on Valley's comeback hopes. It was at that point that Bakersfield and their fans knew they had this game in the bag. 

Then Harker came through again in the top of the ninth inning, with an RBI that scored a run to give the Gades a 6-0 lead. But not long after that RBI, the Valley second basemen dropped the ball when he was trying to tag a Gades base runner, which in turn distracted Valley enough to let another run score from third base which gave the Gades a 7-0 advantage.

Valley takes on the Renegades again on Thursday April 21, with that matchup being played at Bakersfield College.