Box Score | Season Stats

March 1, 2007

Baseball:

Vikings explode late for 14-4 conference win over Pasadena

Sophomore center fielder Chris Cordova launched a grand slam in the eighth inning to cap Long Beach City College’s 14-4 South Coast Conference win over Pasadena City College on Thursday at Joe Hicks Memorial Field.

Despite the lopsided final score, the game was tied 3-3 after the Vikings rallied for a run in the bottom of the sixth.

In the seventh, LBCC blew the game open with four runs. Freshman second baseman Curtis Thompson broke the tie with two-run single that brought home sophomore right fielder Daniel Prieto and freshman first baseman Sean Beckley. A base-loaded walk to sophomore left fielder AJ Bancroft and a sacrifice fly by sophomore shortstop Mark Ruiz plated two more runs to give the Vikings a 7-3 lead.

Just on Tuesday, Long Beach blew a 7-3 seventh-inning advantage to L.A. Harbor, but today the Vikings made sure there wouldn’t be a repeat.

Long Beach exploded for seven runs and five hits in the bottom of the eighth. Beckley had a RBI double, Thompson drove in another with a sacrifice fly and Ruiz forced in a run with a walk before Cordova’s bases-clearing two-out blast cleared the left-center field fence to cap the scoring.

Cordova closed the game going 2 for 5 with 4 RBI and a run. Prieto was a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate with a double and triple, while Thompson also had a big game going 2 for 4 with 3 RBI, 2 stolen bases, and 2 runs.

Freshman starter Keith Chipman (4-2) picked up the win, allowing 3 runs and 11 hits over 7 innings. Sophomore Jesse Costelow pitched a scoreless eighth inning before the Lancers threatened in the ninth.

Pasadena (3-15, 0-2 SCC) had the bases loaded with two outs but only managed one run on a wild pitch before freshman Adam McNaught closed the game with a strikeout.

PCC starter Jose Barajas (0-1) earned the loss after allowing 5 runs (4 earned) and 6 hits in 6+ innings. Shortstop Jeremy Camacho went 3 for 4 with 2 runs to lead the Lancers’ offense.

The win improved Long Beach to 8-11 overall and 1-1 in the SCC. The Vikings play at Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday (Mar. 3) at 12 pm.