Box Score | Season Stats

April 10, 2008

Baseball:

Wurtz goes 5 for 5; Vikings pound Compton 10-4 to snap two-game losing streak

Long Beach City College sophomore left fielder Derek Wurtz went a perfect 5 for 5 at the plate to lead the Vikings to a 10-4 South Coast Conference win over Compton College on Thursday at Joe Hicks Memorial Field.

The win snapped LBCC’s two-game losing streak and improved its record to 23-12 overall and 10-6 in the SCC. Compton fell to a 15-19 and 4-12 in conference play.

Wurtz had five of LBCC’s 13 hits in the contest. He was just a homerun away from the cycle, but ended his day at the plate with two singles, a double, and a triple. He had one RBI and scored three runs.

Long Beach got on the board first in the bottom of the third. Sophomore first baseman Alex Van Horn smashed a solo homerun to left field and three batters later, sophomore designated hitter Randy Serrato drove in a run with a RBI ground out.

The Vikings posted single runs in the fourth and fifth innings before breaking the game open in the sixth.

With Long Beach leading 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Compton starter James Gonzales quickly got two outs.

But freshman center fielder Michael Schultz walked to begin a big LBCC rally before the Vikings banged out six straight hits. During that stretch, Long Beach got doubles from freshman third baseman Trevor Costin, Serrato, and sophomore catcher Derek Junghanel, and Wurtz’ launched his triple off the fence in right-center field as the Vikings went on to score five runs and take a commanding 9-1 advantage.

Sophomore Adam McNaught earned the win to improve to 3-1. He allowed four runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four.

Van Horn (2 for 5, HR, 2B) and Serrato (2 for 4, 2B) both had two RBI for the Vikings.

Gonzalez picked up the loss for Compton. He gave up nine runs and 11 hits in six innings. Shortstop Erik Garcia was 2 for 4 with a RBI to lead Compton at the plate.

The Vikings return to action on Saturday (Apr. 12) when they host El Camino College in a SCC game at 12 p.m.