GAME 1 – El Camino 5, San Joaquin Delta 3
The El Camino College Warriors pulled off a mid-game rally and cashed in a 5-3 win over San Joaquin Delta in the opening game of the California Community College Athletic Association State Baseball Championship on Saturday at Fresno City College's John Euless Ballpark.
With the win, the Warriors (39-7) will advance to the winner's bracket, where they will play the winner of Game 2, which features Sacramento City College and Orange Coast College. With the loss, the Mustangs (39-8) must fight from the loser's bracket and will play the loser between the Panthers and Panthers. Game times and dates are TBA with steady rain in the forecast in Fresno throughout Sunday. Log onto www.cccaasports.org for the latest schedule information as it becomes available.
ECC starter Jimmy Galicia (13-2) picked up the hard-earned win after allowing three runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. The freshman righty allowed two walks and struck out four over a 109-pitch performance. Closer Spencer Long picked up his 10th save of the season after holding the Mustangs off the scoreboard over the final 2 1/3 innings with four strikeouts.
The Warriors struck first in the top of the second inning when Ty Conrad led off with a single to left. He then stole second, advanced to third on a Delta throwing error and scored on an RBI-single by Matt Bassera.
It took all of one pitch for Delta to even the game back up in the bottom of the second as Vinnie Bologna launched his state-leading 17th home run over the left-field wall to tie the game at 1. A run-scoring fly ball by Kevin Fitzgerald and an RBI-bunt single by Thomas Greely capped off the Mustangs three-run frame and gave Delta a 3-1 advantage.
ECC's Matt Bassera got a hold of a 3-1 fastball and sent it over the left-field wall to bring the Warriors to within a run at 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning.
Delta starter Kevin Kyle battled through six-plus innings before getting into trouble in the top of the sixth when Ty Conrad led off with a single, advanced to second on a single by Aaron Orozco and scored two batters later on an RBI-single to right off the bat of pinch-hitter Logan Young, tying the game at 3-3. Taishi Nakawake came up next and gave the Warriors a 4-3 lead with a run-scoring fly ball to right that scored Orozco.
That inning ended the day for Kyle, who went 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits with two walks and seven strikeouts on 115 pitches.
In the ninth, the Warriors picked up a much-needed insurance run when Spencer Palmer lined a double to left and scored one batter on an RBI-double by Joseph Borges.
Conrad finished the afternoon with two hits and two runs scored for the Warriors, while Bassera added two hits, a run and an RBI.
Bologna was the lone Mustang with a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
