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For the eighth time in their 11 wins this season, the Tigers dropped double digits on the scoreboard.
Riverside City College baseball kept up its relentless pace on offense as they took down Los Angeles Mission College 13-3 on Feb. 27 at Evans Sports Complex.
The Tigers’ victory also marks their fifth straight win in which they’ve beaten their opponent by nine or more runs.
“The offense is what the offense is,” Tigers head coach Rudy Arguelles said. “We’re going to continue working on being selective and staying stingy and diligent with our plan.”
Joining the offensive onslaught for RCC was redshirt sophomore third basemen Eddie Alfaro. Alfaro who was poised for a breakout year had started the season ice cold going 2-26 coming into this week’s matchups.
“I think a lot of it (with Alfaro) was pressing,” Arguelles said. “The biggest difference with Eddie has been not only the work being put in but really calming the mind down.”
Alfaro’s change in approach has been simplifying things down to a “two-strike approach” and staying low in his legs.
In the Tiger’s three matchups this week Alfaro has gone 4-6 with seven RBIs capped off with a three-RBI performance in which he reached base safely in all four plate appearances against LA Mission as a sign of potential shifting tides for Alfaro.
Freshman Logan Clear and Bubba Heidler kept up their strong starts to the season leading the Tigers with two hits and three RBIs a piece.
“It makes me feel comfortable knowing I won’t have to pick it up because they’ll pick it up for me and the team,” Alfaro said.
On the hill for Riverside sophomore righty Evan Stratton recorded his second straight quality start going six innings, striking out five, and allowing no earned runs.
“Everything wasn’t 100 percent today, but I had to work through it, take a deep breath, and trust God,” Stratton said.
Stratton figures to be a key piece of the Tigers pitching staff down the stretch.
Riverside finishes off their stretch of seven games in nine days at Citrus College on Feb. 28
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“You look at the score and … we dominated the game, but we didn’t feel that energy,” Arguelles said. “When we started this streak (of games) the energy was high but here we are at the tail-end of it and we’re performing and getting dubs (wins) but where is that energy?”
The Tigers’ attention then turns to the beginning of Orange Empire Conference play next week.
“Every coach in our conference uses the ‘g’ word gauntlet,” Arguelles said. “It’s going to be competitive, nail-biting, and it’s going to be the club that makes the least amount of mistakes that finds ways to win series,” he added on OEC play.
RCC looks to claim their first conference championship in 2025 as they have never won the OEC in their illustrious history.
The Tigers go right into the snakes pit of the OEC as they begin a three-game series against defending California Community College Athletic Association State Champions Saddleback College on March 4.
“We have to have energy at the end of the day,” Alfaro said. “Regardless if it’s a loss energy and competitiveness is what we have to look for.”
“Doesn’t matter if it’s the defending state champion or the eighth-place club,” Arguelles said. “It’s going to be competitive good baseball. The opponent is the opponent but we’re playing against the game of baseball.”
Jacob Moore contributed to this article