12-inning win caps Cougars' weekend series

Cougars have won four out of six games to begin the season


By Dennis McCall 

Taft College heads into its final pre-conference tune-up this week hoping to continue the success they had in their first two 3-game series of the season.

TC will take a 4-2 record on the road after winning two of three last weekend, splitting a pair with College of the Siskiyous – winning 10-2 and losing a 1-0 pitching duel – and then scoring on a squeeze play in the bottom of the 12th as darkness set in for a 6-5 nod over Barstow College.

The Cougars came a hit away from a sweep, missing scoring opportunities in the loss to Siskiyous.

"It was a real disappointment," head coach Vince Maiocco said of the lone loss. "We just couldn't get a clutch hit. With the exception of the first and ninth innings we didn't get anything going."

The Cougars had a runner thrown out at the plate on a short fly ball.

"We just shouldn't have tried to score, and it cost us."

The Cougars opened the ninth with back-to-back singles from Roman Testani and Chris Hoppballe to chase Siskiyous starter Wesley Denzler, who allowed just five hits over the previous eight innings. Matt Morehead's sacrifice bunt put them both in scoring position but a popup and a hard comebacker gloved by reliever Kevin Bevilacqua ended the game.

Missed chances

"We had the tying and winning runs in scoring position with one out," Maiocco said. Pinch-hitter Branden Daniels "hit a hard grounder, and if that ball gets through we had good speed on the bases and would have tied it and possibly won it.

"It was a big disappointment after the way we handled them the day before."

In that one the Cougars scored five times in the first inning and three in the second and cruised to a 10-2 win, banging 13 hits.

The 1-0 loss made Sunday's series closer against Barstow even more important.

TC led 5-3 before giving up two unearned runs in the seventh that allowed Barstow to draw even.

As the sun dipped behind the Temblors, the Cougars missed a chance to win it in the ninth, stranding the winning run at third.

Neither team threatened in the 10th and 11th and in the top of the 12th Cougar centerfielder Travis Tessandori made a nifty diving catch of a sinking liner for the third out with a base-runner on the move.

He then beat out an infield single with one out in the Cougar half of the 12th, moved up on a passed ball and wild pitch and scored the game-winner when Roman Testani bunted down the first-base line.

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