Riverside City College head baseball coach Rudy Arguelles swapped his usual spot in the corner of the Tiger dugout for a helmet and third base coaching duties. His presence sparked a Tiger offense that erupted early and often in a 17-6 win over Orange Coast College at Evans Sports Complex.
For the sixth time this season, the Tigers won a game by double digits April 11. Taking the series over OCC improving to 10-5 in Orange Empire Conference play.
Leading the way for the offense was sophomore right fielder Parker Sobiesiak who went 3-4 with four RBIs on the day.
“We were trying to hunt our pitches and stay aggressive but simple,” Sobiesiak said.
Sobiesiak’s performance capped off a strong series where he went 8-12 with 5 runs driven in. He figures to be a mainstay in the Tiger lineup for the foreseeable future after platooning throughout the season.
“Trying to stay relaxed, be confident in myself and believe in what I’ve been working on,” Sobiesiak noted.
Sobiesiak’s outfielder partners freshman Luke Medure and Logan Clear also tallied a multi-hit and RBI games for the Tigers.
After the first two games of the series in which the Tigers combined for only nine runs, Arguelles attributed the consistency of hard-hit balls to the offensive outburst.
“We had a heavy emphasis on staying with our plan and attacking,” Arguelles said. “If we can do that on a consistent basis I like our chances.”
Freshman righty Jake Valenzuela picked up his fourth victory in OEC play going five innings allowing three and striking out four.
The righty was plagued again by the home run as he gave up his third longball in five OEC play outings.
“He’s got to continue to work on being in control of his emotions and not showing it,” Arguelles said. “Can’t live on every pitch and once he grasps that you’re going to see some dynamic performances out of him.”
After a tough loss in Game One of the series in which Riverside blew a two-run ninth inning lead en route to losing 5-4, Arguelles admired his teams’ response and learning experiences from games before taking the next two games of the series.
“We can’t let up,” Eddie Alfaro, Tigers redshirt sophomore third baseman said. “We know what kind of team we are, and we should be beating these guys left and right.
Alfaro returned to the lineup in this series after missing three weeks of action with a hamstring injury providing a staple back to the Riverside lineup.
“It’s not like they needed me,” Alfaro said. “But I know I’m an asset to this team and I can bring a lot.”
“I feel great,” he added. “Body feels good, mentality feels good now its just about competing.”
The Tigers now move into the final two series of OEC play squaring off against Irvine Valley College next week and Santa Ana College to close things out. They sit three games back of first place trailing Santa Ana in second and the only team they’ve dropped a conference series to thus far, Cypress College in first.
Although the chances to win the conference are bleak Riverside still figures to be poised to host a regional in the California Community Colleges Athletic Association playoffs if they handle business in the coming weeks.
