Riverside Suffers A Sweep; Golden West Wins, 5-0, Friday

Riverside Suffers A Sweep; Golden West Wins, 5-0, Friday

RIVERSIDE – Completing a three-game sweep in Orange Empire Conference (OEC) action, the Golden West College (GWC) Rustlers posted a 5-0 victory over the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers men's baseball team Friday afternoon (Apr. 8) at the Evans Sports Complex.

Under cloudy skies which finally yielded a light rain in the top of the sixth inning and lasted for about 37 minutes, and, except for a 13-minute delay in the bottom of the seventh inning to repair the dirt in front of the pitching rubber and the batter's boxes and catcher's box around home plate, the game continued.
For the third time, Golden West (18-9, 7-5 OEC) scored early and held service. The Rustlers scored single runs in the first and sixth innings before taking advantage of a dropped fly ball in the ninth inning which led to three unearned runs and the 5-0 final.
In the first inning, a run-producing 4-3 ground out by sophomore 1B Cody Marshall (Long Beach) drove in sophomore catcher Chris Gilbody, who had singled and advanced to third on a double by sophomore 2B Dillon Persinger.
In the sixth inning, Persinger was hit by a pitch from RCC starting sophomore RHP Andrew O'Brien (Corona / Corona HS '13) and then advanced to second base on an errant pick-off throw from O'Brien. After a walk to Marshall, sophomore 3B Michael Fuchs stroked a RBI single, driving in Persinger.
At 3:05 p.m., the light rain began to fall. A one-out ground out made the run earned and GWC led, 2-0.
The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the fifth, but the inning ended on a fly-ball double play, thanks to an appeal play. In the eighth, the Tigers had runners at second and third with no outs, but a fly out and then an infield line drive that was turned into a double play quashed the Tigers' threat.
In the ninth, Marshall drilled a two-out, two-run double to cap the scoring. He went two for four with three RBI.
 
GWC starting freshman LHP Taylor Franzman went the distance. In his 9.0 innings, Franzman scattered five hits (one double) and allowed one walk and struck out two to improve to 2-0.
It was the second straight complete game for the Rustlers as they nearly had three consecutive route-going performances against RCC this week.
For Riverside City (15-12 overall,3-9 OEC), O'Brien -- who is pictured -- went the first 7.0 innings and allowed two runs (both earned) on four hits and three walks and struck out three as his record fell to 3-4. Four relievers recorded the final six outs for RCC.

Both teams return to OEC action on Tuesday, April 12, at 2 p.m. RCC will host the Fullerton College Hornets while Golden West will host the Santa Ana College Dons.
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