Brandon Cuervo proved to be a thorn in the side of the Pasadena City College baseball team as the LA Valley leftfielder homered in the sixth inning, then drove in the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly in the ninth to send the Lancers to a 5-4 defeat Thursday in the Lancers' Brookside Park Jackie Robinson Field home opener.
The game is part of a 3-day, SoCal Challenge Tournament (including non-conference teams) as PCC will face LA Pierce College today (Friday, Feb. 3) in a 2 p.m. first pitch.
Against LA Valley (3-2), PCC (1-2) had several big moments, including scoring three runs in the third inning to take a 3-2 lead. Tommy Castillo lined a 2-RBI single to center and Jakob Guardado knocked in a run on a fielder's choice ground to first.
In the seventh, the Lancers tied it at 4-4. With two outs, Castillo reached on a shortstop's throwing error, then Aryonis Harrison (2-for-4) singled to left. The two took off on a double steal which allowed Castillo to score on a catcher's throwing error over the third base bag.
A number of solid defensive plays were turned in by the Lancers, including centerfielder Castillo gunning out a runner at third to complete a double play on a sacrifice fly in the first inning. In the second, third baseman Toshiki Kuriya made a great stab on a shot hit by Cuervo and his turn and hard 2-hopper was caught by first baseman Jake Trabbie.
Castillo turned in a diving catch to rob a hit in short center in the third inning. In the fourth, shortstop Jack Esguerra also made a diving stop behind the second base bag and flipped it to second baseman Ivan Barragan to get out of a jam.
PCC's pitching did admirably with starter Kyle Noell hurling three innings of 5-hit ball (two runs) and three Ks, Rider Gardner throwing three innings of 4-hit ball, one earned run, no walks, two Ks, and Tyler Mitchell posting a 4-out, shutout performance. While third reliever Ben Griffith took the defeat, the freshman got PCC out of danger in the eighth as he relieved Mitchell with runners on first and second and immediately induced a 6-4-3, inning-ending, double play started by Esguerra.
"I thought our pitchers kept us in the game," said PCC head coach Pat McGee. "We scratched a few runs off one of the better starters we will face this season. A few mistakes by both sides, but it was a hard-fought game for one so early in the season."
Valley starter Danny Veloz limited the Lancers bats to four hits over six innings (six strikeouts) and was credited with only one earned run in the 3-run PCC third.
Barragan singled in the ninth, but LAVC closer Brett Edwards retired the last two PCC batters to record the save.
The game featured the sons of former MLB All-Stars in PCC's Guardado (father Eddie pitched for the Minnesota Twins) and LAVC's Royce Clayton Jr., whose dad played for several teams but made the 1997 All-Star Game for the St. Louis Cardinals. Coincidentally, both fathers had long, 17-year careers in the big leagues.