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A previous version of this story contained a photo caption that said the game took place on March 6. The game took place March 5.
By: Eric Pacheco
The Tigers overcame some early struggles to rally back late and defeat the Bobcats with a 4-2 score in the Orange Empire Conference play opener.
The Riverside City College Tigers (14-4) took on the Bobcats of Saddleback College (10-5) in Tuesday’s matinee at the Evans Sports Complex to kick off conference play. Both teams came in riding high with the Tigers having won six of their last seven and the Bobcats winning four of their last five.
“We understand the gauntlet of the Orange Empire conference, and this is just game one of it,” Tigers head coach Rudy Arguelles said.
Freshman Bobcat right-hander Damon Anderson Wolf opposed the Tigers right-handed hurler Sophomore Dylan Plutner. Both Pitchers proved to be effective early and often, pitching into the 6th inning.
“Lot of change-ups, curveball was getting over good, just keeping the hitters off balance,” said Plutner. “I’m not really a strikeout pitcher so I have faith in my defense a lot,” he added.
After two scoreless frames, the Bobcats would strike first with a two-out single by sophomore Makani Tanaka which scored sophomore Jason Wright, who led off the inning with a single.
The sloppy play from the Tigers began in the top of the 4th when freshman second baseman Marcus Moyer misplayed a ground ball. Wright was later hit by a pitch, and with bases loaded and sophomore shortstop Andrew Nykoluk at the plate, a dropped third strike proved costly as another run scored and Nykoluk reached first base.
“Sloppy, from a positional standpoint sloppy, the only reason we were able to overcome all the miscues and mistakes that were made both physically and mentally was because of the pitching staff 100 percent.” coach Arguelles noted.
The Tigers pitching staff was lights out from the 4th inning onward as after Plutner was removed with one out in the fifth inning a quartet of sophomore arms consisting of Jordan Townley, Koa Dabuet, Dakota Gray, and Matt Hudson combined for 3 ⅔ shutout innings with six strikeouts.
The Tigers got on the board in the bottom of the 5th when freshman catcher Ian Nguyen drove in freshman outfielder Alex Gamez, who had led off the inning with what would be his second of three doubles on the day.
The comeback story would really begin in the bottom of the 8th down to their final five outs when freshman designated hitter Dane Lujan reached on an error. Freshman pinch runner Jordan Treadwell would prove to be a spark plug as he aggressively took second base on a ball in the dirt immediately after entering the game.
That set the scene for cleanup hitter redshirt freshman shortstop Eddy Alfaro, who had struggled early in the game. After a tough at-bat, he would deliver with a double down the left field line which scored Treadwell to tie the game.
“Fight, just fight,” Alfaro said. “He got me in a good count but I just had to stay aggressive and put the bat on the ball.”
Alfaro would steal third as freshman center fielder Parker Sobiesiak walked and Gamez would cap off his amazing day with a go-ahead two-RBI double that gave the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish.
“I was seeing the ball really good, and just being in the moment, on that last hit I knew I was going to do something, I just had a feeling,” Gamez said ecstatically.
The Tigers travel to Saddleback on Thursday before returning home on Saturday to finish off their series with the Bobcats.
