No. 3 Baseball Sweeps No. 14 Grossmont, Advances to Round Two with Ease

The No. 3 Riverside City College baseball team barreled double-digit hits for the third time in the last four games. Today, the Tigers' offensive prowess carried over in the second game against the No. 14 Grossmont College Griffins in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern Regional Round One leading to a 9-5 victory.

The Tigers advance to the second round by sweeping the Griffins with ease and did so with a strong combination of strong pitching and clutch hitting.

Both teams failed to score in the first two frames with freshman ace Giancarlo Flores taking to the bump for his 13 start of the season. He got off to a strong start by recording five consecutive outs to close out his second inning of work.

Riverside etched the first run of the game in the top of the third inning compliments of a two out RBI single from freshman third baseman Ignacio Alvarez, scoring freshman center fielder Julian Alvarez. They followed with a three spot in the top of the fourth inning to distance themselves from the Griffins.

J. Alvarez got the ball rolling with a laser single through the right side, scoring freshman catcher Maxwell Shor who led the inning off with an infield single. I. Alvarez followed two batters later with a two-RBI double down the left field line, scoring Shor and freshman left fielder Casey Murray to grab an early 4-0 lead.

Grossmont had some fight in them as they score three unanswered runs the following two innings to trim their deficit to one run, but another three spot from the Tigers in the top of the seventh inning to distance themselves from the Griffins once again.

Shor continued to get the job done at the dish by barreling a single to right field with the bases juiced, plating I. Alvarez. Murray followed by wearing a pitch on his knee to score freshman right fielder Matthew Bardowell. Freshman second baseman Ramsses Fierro capped the inning with a two strike single to center field to, scoring pinch runner Brian West.

Riverside score two more insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning with an RBI single from freshman first baseman Daniel Garcia, backed by a sacrifice fly from freshman catcher Daniel Briones.

The bullpen took charge helmed by freshman reliever Luis Sakemi Sato and entered in the fifth inning and allowed just one hit and fanned three to earn his second win of the season. Freshman reliever Hayden Coon pitched the ninth and slammed the door.

Bardowell was intentionally walked a playoff record four times, but was backed by the always hot I. Alvarez who went 3-for-3 with three RBI. He flashed some serious leather at the hot corner to go errorless for the 25th consecutive game. Shor and J. Alvarez each had two knocks leading to RBI.

Riverside advances to the second round for the third year in a row and will play the winner of No. 6 Mt. San Antionio and No. 11 Cypress at home. Stay tuned to www.rccathletics.com for more information.