Posted: April 7, 2015 | Written by Edith Noriega
The Riverside City College baseball team drew a setback when they entered a two game friendly against Santa Barbara College on April 1 and Taft College on April 2.
Prior the Tigers’ had no trouble sweeping Santa Ana College 7-0 and 3-2.
Right off the bat things were out of sync for RCC in game one of the friendly against Santa Barbara committing five errors two of which were made in the second inning making the ultimate domino effect.
After an infield error, dropped fly ball in right field with two outs. The Vaqueros then produced back-to-back doubles to overcome a 1-0 deficit for a 3-1 lead and eventually winning 5-2.
The Tigers’ then needed to redeem themselves battling to the end against Taft College.
RCC got an early start in the fourth inning with Israel Fuentes single turned double on a wrong throw from left field by Taft College. Fuentes later went on to score on an infield throwing error off the bat of Garrett Dean.
Cougars rose from a nap in the fifth inning on a leadoff single, run producing sacrifice bunt and a pair of RBI doubles to take a 3-1 lead.
After hitting into three double plays during the game that wasn’t all for the Tigers’ just yet. With two outs going into the bottom of the eighth inning on a 1-1 count David Schuknecht went deep homering to right field for his fifth home run of the season now tying the game to three a piece.
“Truthful is can’t do anything worse than what my previous at bats were,” Schuknecht said. “Really just trying to stay calm trying real easy and get a pitch I can hit well.”
It all came down to the end after a crucial pitching change for RCC when pitcher Octavio Lara came into pitch for Tyler Rowe.
After a hit by pitch and walk for Lara it all went down hill after that in the top of the ninth inning.
Logan Mace advanced to second, Kade Erickso advanced to third and Figueroa scored on a wild pitch taking the 4-3 lead.
The Tigers’ were then unable to score in their last at bats with lining outs and a ground out.
“This game of baseball weather played at RCC or throughout the world is about personalities,” said head coach Dennis Rodgers. “It’s not about performance it’s really the personality of the individual. Our guys mean well their just really struggling with the mental aspect of the game and really finding that extra gear and grit and that’s what everybody tries to pursue in sports is grit.”
The Tigers have been really emphasizing on playing more not to lose than trying to win that is why the team has not been playing well.
RCC must win six of the last eight remaining games to make the playoffs and will look start against Saddleback College currently in progress and April 9 at 2 p.m.
