No. 15 Canyons Back in Win Column With 8-7 Walk Off vs. Cerritos

After a one-game hiatus No. 15 College of the Canyons got back in the win column on Wednesday, as freshman Anthony Medina hit a walk-off RBI double in the tenth inning that lifted the Cougars to an 8-7 victory over visiting Cerritos College.

Canyons (6-4) scored runs in the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth innings to cap a back-and-forth game that featured six lead changes.

Cerritos (4-8) took an early two-run lead on a two-run home run in the top of the first inning off of COC starter Justin Dehn.

COC later got on the board in the second inning when James Scanlan's sacrifice fly went deep enough to bring home Chris May from third and cut the Falcons lead at 2-1. The Cougars took their first lead of the game on a two-run RBI single by Anthony Lepre in the home half of the third.

Meanwhile, Dehn would go on to blank the Falcons over the next five innings, before getting into some trouble in the seventh. That's when Cerritos was able to manufacture a pair of runs, including one unearned, on a sequence that included a hit batter, single, sac bunt, fielding error and ground out to make it a 4-3 Falcons lead.

Dehn finished the game with five strikeouts and two walks in his six and 2/3 innings on the mound. The sophomore allowed four hits and was charged with three earned runs before giving way to reliever Jack Kernochan.

Canyons was quick to respond, however, with an RBI double by Medina in the seventh that brought home Cole Kleszcz and Ivan Lomeli to give COC the edge at 5-4. 

Medina finished the game 2-for-5 with three RBIs, including the eventual game winner. 

A series of mistakes on the mound and in the field would cost the Cougars once again in the eighth inning, with the Falcons able to plate three more unearned runs and take a 7-5 lead.

COC sophomore Wes Felber's solo shot later in the inning made it a one-run game at 7-6, and kept the Cougars within striking distance. Felber finished the game 2-for-5.

Then, with two outs in the ninth, Calvin Estrada roped an RBI single that scored May and sent the game to extra innings at 7-7.

Senituli Taufahema led off the tenth inning with a single and later advanced to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later Medina was back with the bat in his hands ready to record the walk-off win at 8-7.

COC reliever Jarrett Poh (1-0) got the win after tossing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Canyons will next travel to L.A. Valley College at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23.

—Story and photos by Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information