Posted: Feb. 19, 2015 | Written by Edith Noriega
Riverside City College first baseman Israel Fuentes singled up the middle driving in Garrison Cole for the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Mount San Jacinto Eagles on Feb. 19.
“I knew this was a big situation so just keeping the confidence throughout the whole at bat and telling myself you got this,” Fuentes said. “Here comes your pitch and everything else is going to happen on its own.”
The Tigers took an early 3-1 lead in the first inning when Garrison Cole singled through the right side and stole second. Fuentes doubled down the infield line (RBI Cole).
Tommy Pincin singled up the middle RBI Brody Weiss, who reached on a fielders choice and stole second against the Eagles.
RCC pitching change from starter RHP Sabino Ramirez to RHP Ryan Avila in the top of the sixth inning proved a crucial point when the Eagles took the lead scoring 5 runs, 3 hits and 2 errors.
“It was a very sloppy game that’s not us but that’s how we were today,” said RCC Head Coach Dennis Rodgers. “It was a win but it wasn’t done really well but we’ll have to correct some things.”
As the Tigers look on to start league games coach Rogers explain that the Orange Empire is the most powerful community college baseball league in the country.
“You have to play the non-conference games obviously but playing the Orange Empire Conference is a grind. It is 21 games of bare down no easy days off,” he said. “It really comes down to our pitching. They just have to get better mentally. This is all about a mental game and being sustainable in your thought process and if you don’t have that and you waiver you fall.”
Player of the game Fuentes felt it wasn’t one of the Tigers best.
“We fought the team came pretty good in hitting but we kept fighting and fighting and we came up with the win,” said Fuentes. “I am excited but nervous for league games cause I know our league is really hard but they’re going to be good games.”
The RCC baseball team will close their last non-conference game against Mount San Antonio Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. and start its first league game away against Orange Coast Feb. 26 at 12 p.m.
