Cuesta Comes Back for 4-3 Win over the Tigers in a Make-up Game

RIVERSIDE -- Watching a late two-run lead disappear, the Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers men's baseball team dropped a 4-3 non-conference decision to the visiting Cuesta College Cougars in a make-up game Thursday afternoon (Feb. 20) at the Evans Sports Complex.

Cuesta (4-7), which dropped the first two games of the season series three weeks ago at home, had the would-be finale rained out (Feb. 2), necessitating the reschedulement for Thursday.

Riverside (5-6) took a 3-1 lead into the top of the seventh inning, but a walk, a hit batsman and a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt (which allowed the first run to score) set the stage for Cuesta. After a stolen base, a RBI single and sacrifice fly plated the final two runs.

Cuesta sophomore 3B Josh Falco had three singles in five at bats, while freshman LF Nick Rutchyj (Surrey, B.C., CANADA) stroked two doubles for the Cougars.

Cuesta sophomore starting RHP Evan Peterson (Templeton / Templeton HS) went the first seven innings to record the win (1-2). He allowed eight hits for three runs (one earned) with no walks or strikeouts. Scott Romuk pitched the ninth to notch his first save.

RCC sophomore LHP Alec Cordova (Chino / Chino HS / Rio Hondo CC) allowed the first three runners to reach base in the seventh in relief to get saddled with the los (0-1).

Sophomore SS Nick King (Palm Springs / Palm Springs HS) went four for four to pace the Tigers. In an interesting sidenote, all three RCC runs were driven in on groundouts to shortstop.

Cuesta will continue its road trip with a pair of games at Saddleback College on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22.

Riverside will return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 25, when it hosts the Mt. San Antonio College Mounties at 5 p.m. when last Tuesday's suspended game resumes with RCC leading, 6-3, with one out in the bottom of the 15th inning. Once that game is completed, the regularly scheduled game between MSAC and RCC will start 20 minutes later.

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