Riverside Bested in Extras in Top Ranked Bout

Extra innings were needed to decide today's winner as the No. 3 Riverside City College Tigers hosted the No. 1 Santa Ana College Dons in Orange Empire Conference (OEC) action. Nine total runs were score in the 10^th inning, but six of them were by the Dons leading to a 10-7 loss for the Tigers.

Riverside had an opportunity to push across the go-ahead in the eighth and ninth innings, but came up short. Riverside had runners on second and third with one out in the eighth and traveled into extra innings after beings retired in order in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Tigers owned the lead heading into the top of the eighth inning after sophomore third baseman Ignacio Alvarez barreled a two out RBI double to right center, scoring freshman center fielder Julian Alvarez, to grab a 4-3 lead. However, it quickly dwindled as the Dons connected for a solo inside the park homerun.

The top of the 10^th inning featured three pitchers with each allowing at least one run to cross the plate. Sophomore southpaw Ryan Hernandez finally halted the intense bleeding by forcing a line out to sophomore shortstop Sebastian Flores.

Sophomore starting pitcher Giancarlo Flores was tossed the pearl and got knocked around in the first inning by allowing three runs. However, he rebounded and tossed up six-consecutive scoreless innings featuring five punch outs.

I. Alvarez went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while freshman second baseman connected for a two-RBI double and three total RBI.

Freshman reliever Hayden Coon (1-1) was tabbed with the loss after going one and two thirds innings and striking out two.