Golden West Moves On to Rounds 3 of the Regional Playoffs

by John Czimbal

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Thanks to a six-run fourth inning, the Golden West College (GWC) Rustlers prevailed, 10-6, in game three of the best-of-three series over the visiting Riverside City College (R CC) Tigers men's baseball team at GWC's Fred Hoover Field Sunday afternoon (May 15) in a California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California Regional second-round playoff series at GWC's Fred Hoover Field.

Riverside City (25-18 overall), the No. 18 seed, struck first in the top of the first inning. With one out, sophomore DH Casey Sheehan (Redlands / Redlands East Valley HS '14) singled and then sophomore LF Michael Darr (Corona / Santiago HS '14) doubled him to third to set the stage for freshman 1B Ryan Mota (Fontana / Kaiser HS '14), who smacked a three-run home run to left field to give RCC a 3-0.

Golden West (27-14 overall), the No. 3 seed in the regional playoffs, posted a pair of runs in the second inning and added a run in the third to tie the game at 3-3 before exploding for six runs (all unearned) and a 9-3 lead.

Sheehan socked a two-run home run on an 0-2 pitch in the top of the sixth to get Riverside City closer at 9-5 before GWC countered with a run in its half of the sixth for the 10-6 final score.

Golden West advances to host the No. 7-seeded Chaffey College Panthers, who edged the host Cuesta College Cougars, two-games-to-one in a best-of-three series beginning Friday, May 20. The No. 4-seeded Cypress College Chargers edged the visiting (No. 17-seeded) Fullerton College Hornets, 5-4, in ten innings to take that series, two games to one, and will host the No. 5-seeded Grossmont College Griffins which swept the No. 9-seeded Bakersfield College Renegades this weekend.

http://gwcathletics.com/sports/bsb/2015-16/releases/20160515xwvgam