No. 6 Long Beach pulls out 10-8 extra-inning win over Grossmont to advance to Super Regionals
The Long Beach City College baseball team overcame five errors which led to five unearned runs to defeat visiting Grossmont College 10-8 in 10 innings in Game 2 of their 2009 Southern California Regional Playoffs series at Joe Hicks Memorial Field. The Vikings take the three-game series 2-0 and advance to next weekend’s Super Regionals tournament.
The win improved the No. 6-seeded Vikings to 29-16 while No. 10 Grossmont ended its season with a 27-15 overall record.
The game seemed to be decided early before the wild finish.
For the second straight game, Grossmont (the designated home team) jumped ahead in the bottom of the first inning. Catcher Kevin Silvett launched a solo homerun to put the Griffins quickly ahead.
LBCC responded again with three runs in the top of the second. A one-out error put right fielder Randy Guite on base to start the rally. The Vikings then got back-to-back run-scoring doubles from designate hitter Brian Loard and first baseman Cory Buchheim to take the lead. Two batters later, left fielder Matt Homstad singled to bring in Buchheim and give LBCC the 3-1 advantage.
Second baseman Trevor Costin added a solo homerun in the top of the third and Long Beach led 4-1.
From that point, LBCC starting pitcher Blake Golding was on cruise control. Golding faced the minimum amount of batters (15) over the next five innings and at one point retired 11 batters in a row.
The Vikings appeared to be on their way to the easy win until a disastrous seventh inning. Long Beach committed four errors and Grossmont made them pay with three hits. A two-run double by designated hitter Nick Palcane and a two-run single by first baseman Kevin Tenny put Grossmont ahead 5-4.
Grossmont plated two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Silvett launched his second homerun of the day (third of the series) and Placone singled in third baseman Adam Aspaas to give the Griffins a commanding 7-4 lead.
But Long Beach erased that lead with four runs in the top of the ninth inning. Guite was hit by Grossmont starter Zach Anderson to lead off the frame. Loard singled and Buchheim walked to load the bases. Relief pitcher Greg Labarre’s second balk of the inning brought in Guite to make the score 7-5. Labarre struck out third baseman Andy Hernandez for the first out of the inning, but pinch hitter Jared Smith laced a two-run double down the left-field line to tie the game. Two batters later, Grossmont shortstop Brian Lagun two-out error allowed pinch runner Phillip Jefferson to score the go-ahead run and LBCC now led 8-5.
But the Griffins didn’t quit. A two-out error by Hernandez at third allowed center fielder Sequoyah Stoncipher to reach base. And Grossmont’s hottest hitter, Silvett, made it costly. He lined a single down the right-field line to tie up the game.
LBCC finally put the game out of reach in the top of the 10th. Catcher Jonathan Keener opened the rally after reaching base on another Grossmont error. Guite followed that with a sacrifice bunt attempt. But pitcher Mark Bellatti’s throw to second trying to get Keener was too late. After Kenner and Guite stole third and second, Loard hit a fiedler’s choice grounder to first. The throw home to get Keener was too late allowing the go-ahead run to score. Buchheim smoked a RBI single to left for an insurance to give Long Beach the 10-8 lead.
After allowing a lead-off single in the bottom of the 10th, reliever Teddy Mitrosilis struck out second baseman Ken Sarno and pinch hitter Cash McClellan before inducing a flyout by Tenny to close the game and the series for the Vikings.
Mitrosilis (6-3) earned the win in relief, going 2 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and hits while striking out five. Golding pitched 7 1/3 innings, giving up six runs (only two earned) and seven hits.
Loard was 3 for 5 (2B, 2 runs) with 2 RBI to lead LBCC at the plate. Buchheim (2 for 4, 2B, 2 runs) and Smith (1 for 1, 2B) all had 2 RBI.
Bellati (1-1) picked up the loss for Grossmont. He allowed two runs (one earned) and one hits in 2/3 of an inning. Anderson went 8+ innings, giving up six runs (four earned) and eight hits.
Silvett added four more hits to his series, going 4 for 5 with 3 RBI, including a pair of homeruns and a double. Placone (2 for 4) also drove in three runs for Grossmont.
LBCC advances to the Super Regionals scheduled for next weekend (May 16-17). A pair of four-team, double-elimination tournaments will be held at No. 1 seed Palomar and No. 2 seed Orange Coast. The Vikings will find out where they are headed on Saturday night.
The winner of the Super Regional moves on to the state championships on May 23-25 in Fresno. LBCC last won the state championship in 2006.
