No. 2 Canyons Claims 8-7 Victory at No. 6 Fullerton
Sophomore Chris McCready led the Cougars at the plate, batting 3-for-5 with four RBIs.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 5 |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 0 |
The No. 2 regionally ranked College of the Canyons baseball team defeated host Fullerton College 8-7 on Saturday afternoon.
Canyons (9-1) came back to beat the Hornets after going down 0-2 through four innings of play.
A big four-run fifth inning helped the Cougars eventually surge ahead, before a wild finish in the bottom of the ninth ultimately secured the victory for COC.
In the home half of the ninth a Cougar error allowed Fullerton to get a runner on base. A two-out single then gave the Hornets another runner.
During the next at bat a passed ball prompted the lead Fullerton runner at third to try and come home. But COC catcher Anthony Lepre made a big-time defensive move to retrieve the ball and gun the incoming runner with pitcher Zach Hanks covering home plate and applying the tag to end the game.
Hanks was credited with a save, while COC starter Jacob Musial earned the win after throwing five and 2/3 innings and allowing three earned runs.
Canyons trailed 2-0 through four innings, but finally got things going in the top of the fifth. That's when sophomore center fielder Chris McCready knocked a two-run double that tied the game and helped set up a big inning for head coach Chris Cota's club.
In the very next at bat sophomore third baseman Wyatt Hoppie finished what had been started with a two-run double of his own to get the Cougars off and running at 4-2.
In the next inning freshman Chad Bible hit a solo home run, his first of two on the day, to put the score at 5-2. Soon after McCready was at it again with a two-run single that extended the Cougar lead at 7-2.
McCready led the Cougars at the plate, batting 3-for-5 with four RBIs. He also scored a run. Bible finished 2-for-5 with the two home runs.
Fullerton tried to turn the tables on COC, scoring runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. However, the Hornets ultimately fell short.
Canyons will return to action on Friday, March 4, as the Cougars host Northern California No. 1 Consumes River (12-0) at 2 p.m.