JC Baseball: AVC gets its clutch hit, wins first one at home this season
March 14, 2015
By ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — Ground out after ground out, fly out after fly out, Antelope Valley College head coach John Livermont's exasperation grew once again on Saturday.
"I've seen that movie before, yeah, I've seen that movie," Livermont said. "It's been too many sequels."
But in what turned out to be a flick the Marauders had to yet to see at home or in conference this season, Tyler Pittmon delivered the pop corn-dropping twist in the form of a bases-clearing double in the seventh inning that lifted AVC to an 11-4 win over West L.A.
The victory was the first at home in eight tries for the Marauders. It was also the first in six tries in Western State South Conference play after many close calls.
"We needed to get that first one out of the way so we could get some momentum," Pittmon said. "There's more to come."
After losing its first five conference games, three of them by a single run, AVC mostly pointed at the lack of timely hitting as the main culprit for the slide.
On Saturday, facing West L.A. reliever Vitor Takakura for the first time in a 3-3 tie with the bases loaded and one out, Pittmon smacked a 3-2 pitch deep to center field to bring home Carlos Ochoa, Jose Tejada and Arturo Sanchez.
"I went down swinging two at-bats before that so I knew that at-bat I had to come through," said Pittmon, who went 2-for-5 with four RBIs and had AVC's only extra-base hit of the game. "I was looking for a pitch and it came to me."
Konner Arnold had a sac fly to cap a five-run seventh, which was followed by a floodgates-are-open four-run eighth.
Tejada went 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs and Davin Domingo and Sanchez went 2-for-5.
Hitting in the ninth spot, Eric Baynton got on base in all four of his at-bats, drawing three walks and getting hit by a pitch.
"We have to manufacture some runs," Livermont said. "When we get someone who walks like that, it's huge."
Following a two-run first inning, the Marauders couldn't manufacture much for most of the afternoon.
AVC, which coming into the game hadn't scored more than three runs at home all season, went scoreless for five straight innings against West L.A. starter Mark McEntee.
Fortunately for the Marauders, Arturo Sanchez, who relieved starter Julian Tejada after two innings, would keep West L.A. within reach.
Sanchez went six innings and only gave up two hits, two walks and no runs while striking out two.
"You always got to be ready when you're called upon," Sanchez said.
He was the first Marauder to get a win since Arnold against Porterville on Feb. 24.
"It's such a relief and I'm just happy for the team because we deserve it," Sanchez said. "We've been in every game in conference and we finally pulled through."
The same couldn't be said for West L.A., which remained the only winless team in conference.
The Wildcats have lost all six of their Western State South Conference games by at least six runs.
The way things had been going for the Marauders, however, they could have beaten a high school team on Saturday and been just as happy.
"Good team win, good to win at home, good to win period," Livermont said.
West L.A. picked up 11 hits, just as many as the Marauders, but only four of them came after the third inning.
AVC had six hits and four walks after the sixth inning, when its timely hitting finally came through.
"It was our time," Livermont said. "It just had to come, it has to. Things have got to start going our way."
Looking to keep momentum going, the Marauders will be on the road against L.A. Mission on Tuesday.
This time, Livermont and the Marauders wouldn't mind a sequel of the previous game.
"Just knowing the feeling of winning, we just want it more," Sanchez said.
By ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — Ground out after ground out, fly out after fly out, Antelope Valley College head coach John Livermont's exasperation grew once again on Saturday.
"I've seen that movie before, yeah, I've seen that movie," Livermont said. "It's been too many sequels."
But in what turned out to be a flick the Marauders had to yet to see at home or in conference this season, Tyler Pittmon delivered the pop corn-dropping twist in the form of a bases-clearing double in the seventh inning that lifted AVC to an 11-4 win over West L.A.
The victory was the first at home in eight tries for the Marauders. It was also the first in six tries in Western State South Conference play after many close calls.
"We needed to get that first one out of the way so we could get some momentum," Pittmon said. "There's more to come."
After losing its first five conference games, three of them by a single run, AVC mostly pointed at the lack of timely hitting as the main culprit for the slide.
On Saturday, facing West L.A. reliever Vitor Takakura for the first time in a 3-3 tie with the bases loaded and one out, Pittmon smacked a 3-2 pitch deep to center field to bring home Carlos Ochoa, Jose Tejada and Arturo Sanchez.
"I went down swinging two at-bats before that so I knew that at-bat I had to come through," said Pittmon, who went 2-for-5 with four RBIs and had AVC's only extra-base hit of the game. "I was looking for a pitch and it came to me."
Konner Arnold had a sac fly to cap a five-run seventh, which was followed by a floodgates-are-open four-run eighth.
Tejada went 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs and Davin Domingo and Sanchez went 2-for-5.
Hitting in the ninth spot, Eric Baynton got on base in all four of his at-bats, drawing three walks and getting hit by a pitch.
"We have to manufacture some runs," Livermont said. "When we get someone who walks like that, it's huge."
Following a two-run first inning, the Marauders couldn't manufacture much for most of the afternoon.
AVC, which coming into the game hadn't scored more than three runs at home all season, went scoreless for five straight innings against West L.A. starter Mark McEntee.
Fortunately for the Marauders, Arturo Sanchez, who relieved starter Julian Tejada after two innings, would keep West L.A. within reach.
Sanchez went six innings and only gave up two hits, two walks and no runs while striking out two.
"You always got to be ready when you're called upon," Sanchez said.
He was the first Marauder to get a win since Arnold against Porterville on Feb. 24.
"It's such a relief and I'm just happy for the team because we deserve it," Sanchez said. "We've been in every game in conference and we finally pulled through."
The same couldn't be said for West L.A., which remained the only winless team in conference.
The Wildcats have lost all six of their Western State South Conference games by at least six runs.
The way things had been going for the Marauders, however, they could have beaten a high school team on Saturday and been just as happy.
"Good team win, good to win at home, good to win period," Livermont said.
West L.A. picked up 11 hits, just as many as the Marauders, but only four of them came after the third inning.
AVC had six hits and four walks after the sixth inning, when its timely hitting finally came through.
"It was our time," Livermont said. "It just had to come, it has to. Things have got to start going our way."
Looking to keep momentum going, the Marauders will be on the road against L.A. Mission on Tuesday.
This time, Livermont and the Marauders wouldn't mind a sequel of the previous game.
"Just knowing the feeling of winning, we just want it more," Sanchez said.