Riverside Stunts LA Mission Comeback Hopes

The Riverside City College baseball team entered into its final non-conference series of the season featuring the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles on Tuesday night. Despite being outhit, the Tigers came through with runners in scoring position and relied on pitching prowess leading to a 7-4 win.

The Tigers got their offensive work done early in the contest despite being down 2-1 after the first two frames.

Riverside  tied the game up in the bottom of the third inning on a defensive blunder on LA Mission's front, allowing sophomore second baseman Alex Moreno to score. Freshman first baseman Seth Spencer gave Riverside its first lead of the game two batters later with a RBI bloop single to shallow left field, plating freshman right fielder Matthew Darr, to go ahead 3-2.

The Tigers continued the offensive momentum into the following frame by etching a three spot on the scoreboard. After reaching base via error, freshman left fielder Alphonzo Mancinas flipped on the burners and stole second base. He eventually came around to score on an errant throw by the Eagles' catcher. Darr capped the inning with a two RBI double down the right field line, plating Moreno and sophomore center fielder Dylan Morace, leading to a 4-2 advantage.

From then on, the pitching staff held its ground. Sophomore right-hander Ethan Sachs, who was granted that start, tossed three innings of work and gave way to freshman right-hander Cruz Barrios in the top of the fourth inning. Barrios strung together his best outing this season by pitching three scoreless innings and striking out three batters.

However, a slight offensive surge from the Eagles threatened a Tiger's victory as the score pushed to 6-4 after seven frames. Nevertheless, an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning and the lights out pitching from freshman closer Josiah Torres handed Riverside a 7-4 win.

Torres slammed the door shut to earn his second save of the season. He chucked 1.2 innings of scoreless ball while fanning three batters. Sachs (3-1) earned the win after tossing the opening three innings and striking out two.

Darr recorded four RBI and a double. Morace and Moreno scored two runs each.

Riverside (12-3) will close out the two-game series on Thursday, February 27 on the road at 5 p.m.