By BRIAN REED-BAIOTTO, Sports Editor What a time for a PCC pitcher to throw the club’s first complete game of the season. The Lancers, after Friday’s 12-11 victory, needed just one win on Saturday to advance to the Super Regionals. After going through three pitchers yesterday, manager Pat McGee needed as many innings out of […]
By BRIAN REED-BAIOTTO, Sports Editor
What a time for a PCC pitcher to throw the club’s first complete game of the season.
The Lancers, after Friday’s 12-11 victory, needed just one win on Saturday to advance to the Super Regionals.
After going through three pitchers yesterday, manager Pat McGee needed as many innings out of starter Race Gardner as he could get.
And Gardner stepped up big time.
The 6-foot, 190-pound Glendora High product went all nine innings, and got RCC’s Peter Gomez to pop out to second baseman Andres Kim for the final out.
RCC left the potential game-tying and winning runs in scoring position.
Gardner and PCC were able.to finish off Riverside, 3-2, on a cold and damp Saturday afternoon.
PCC was the designated ‘visiting’ team on Saturday, and they were able to plate two runs in the top of the ninth to give Gardner a two-run cushion.
Alex Briggs, another Glendora High alum, led off the top of the ninth with a hit and came around to score on a Jose Jimenez base hit.
Brett Wheat came on to pinch-hit in the ninth and the La Salle grad clutched up and singled home Jessie Garcia.
Matt Acosta went all nine innings for RCC, and he was able to get out of the top of the ninth without even more damage being done.
Gardner was cruising with one out in the ninth and the bases empty until Peter McEvoy went deep over the left-field fence to get RCC to within 3-2.
It was McEvoy’s first hit all series.
There was also some drama between the first and third out, but Gardner and PCC hung on and won their first playoff series since 1967.
PCC will travel to take on El Camino in a best-of-three series starting on Friday.
Jimenez went 2 for 4 and drove in two of the three runs for the Lancers.
John Bicos also had two hits for PCC, and he scored a run.
Gardner allowed two runs on seven hits and he struck out five to improve to 6-4 this season.
Zach Grande went 2 for 4 for RCC.
Matt Acosta had a perfect game into the fifth inning until Bicos singled and came around to score on a Jimenez base hit.
Acosta allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out six.
Perhaps one play was emblematic of the two teams.
RCC’s Dean Miller hit a shot to deep center field and showboated his way down the first-base line.
The only problem was the ball ended up hitting the center field fence, and Miller had himself a 400-foot single.
The PCC crowd let him hear it, and Miller made a gesture towards the fans that voiced his opposition.
PCC, on the other hand, ran out every ball from the first to twenty seventh out, and they’re moving on, and their season continues..
But how close was this series?
PCC scored 15 runs and RCC scored 14 times.
Both schools had exactly 25 hits apiece.
Quotable:
PCC coach Pat McGee: “Race was outstanding today. He’s a competitor and he wanted the ball. There was adversity in that last inning and there was no way he was coming out of the game. I am so proud of our guys.”
PCC pitcher Race Gardner: “I was getting ahead with my curve ball. I wasn’t afraid to throw inside. I wanted to make them beat me. I think adrenaline was helping my arm. The ninth inning was all right, but I had to go back to what I was doing well. I am always down to be the guy out there when the game is on the line.”
PCC shortstop Alex Briggs: “The win is definitely a good thing for us and momentum is in our favor right now. Race did a great job of keeping them off balance and really going at them. He let us work behind him. We mustered up some energy in the ninth inning and got after the pitcher. It was a good job by everyone.”
PCC third baseman Jose Jimenez: “I went up there (the plate) relaxed and poised and did my job. I felt like we needed more runs, but Race was really poised. We had to stay relaxed and just do our jobs.”
PCC first baseman Jeremy Conant: “Race went out there with a bulldog mentality and out-competed the other team. We needed a good start out of him and he gave us a great start. The victory itself was awesome, RCC has been a great program for years, so it’s a big accomplishment to beat a team of that caliber.”
PCC second baseman Andres Kim: “Race stepped up and was an absolute bulldog today. He was locked in, throwing strikes, and using our defense. We’re continuing to show a lot of heart, and I am glad to be a part of it.”
Box Score:
Pasadena City College: 0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-2-(3)
Riverside City College: 0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-(2)
Batteries:
PCC: Race Gardner and Jessie Garcia
RCC: Matt Acosta and Peter Gomez
Win: Race Gardner (6-4)
Loss: Matt Acosta (6-4)
Home Run:
Peter McEvoy (RCC)
Double:
Ryan Mota (RCC)
Hits:
PCC 7; RCC 7
Best of Three Series Results:
May 5: Pasadena City College 12, Riverside City College 11
May 6: Pasadena City College 3, Riverside City College 2
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