8:00am | Baseball: Vikings score late to pick up 4-1 win in season-opener at Barstow

The Long Beach City College baseball team scored a run in the eighth and added three more in the ninth inning to pull out a 4-1 non-conference win at Barstow College in its season-opener on Saturday.

Long Beach broke up the pitcher’s duel with the game’s first run in the top of the eighth. Sophomore Justin Moore (LA University HS) drew a two-out walk, stole second base and moved to third on a throwing error by Barstow catcher Cody Stafford. Two batters later, Moore came in to score on a wild pitch by reliever Joshua King.

LBCC broke the game open in the bottom of the ninth after pounding out four hits. Freshman Nate Alcafaras (Wilson HS) and sophomore Daniel Catalan (Warren HS) had RBI singles and Alcafaras came in to score on a balk.

The highly touted LBCC pitching staff got off to a good start. Freshman starting pitcher Jake Angus (Pacifica HS) allowed just two hits and struck six batters over six innings on his way to a no-decision. Freshman David Aispuro (Jordan HS) picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Aispuro (1-0) struck out two and walked one.

Catalan led the Vikings at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a RBI. Alcafaras went 2 for 4 with a run and RBI while sophomore Edwin Santiago (Jordan HS) went 1 for 3 with a double in the ninth that started the late rally.

LBCC (1-0) returns to action on Tuesday (Feb 7) when it will begin a three-game series with Orange Coast College. The Vikings play at OCC on Tuesday at 2 pm, then host the Pirates in their home-opener on Feb 9 at Joe Hicks Memorial Field at 2 pm before closing out the series back at Orange Coast on Feb 10, also at 2 pm.

Softball: Vikings commit four costly errors in 7-2 loss to No. 5 Riverside

Four Long Beach City College errors led to four unearned runs as the Vikings suffered a 7-2 non-conference loss to visiting No. 5 state-ranked Riverside City College on Friday at LBCC.

The loss dropped Long Beach to 5-2 overall this season.

The Vikings took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning off Riverside starting pitcher Kendall Apodaca. Sophomore Danielle Hannan (El Segundo HS) led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Liz Melendrez (Banning HS). With one out, sophomore Cassie Garcia (Banning HS) singled up the middle to drive in the speedy Hannan from second.

Freshman starter Frances Campoy (Santa Fe HS) pitched her way out of a pair of jams in the opening innings after leaving the bases loaded in the first and stranding a RCC runner on third in the second.

But she wasn’t as fortunate in the third as Riverside took advantage of a misplayed ball in right field and a pair of two-out errors to score six runs in the inning.

Chelsea Crawley drove in a pair of runs with a double over the head of LBCC sophomore Samantha Goerlitz (Lakewood HS). A throwing error by Melendrez at short on Ingrid Williams’ grounder allowed Crawley to score. Two batters later, Kylee Dattilo doubled down the left field line to bring in Williams. Dattillo’s ball was booted in foul territory by left fielder Sara Valdepena, allowing Taylor Conner to score from first base. Chelsea Rosario capped the rally with a RBI single to right and the Tigers jumped out to a 6-1 lead.

LBCC scored its other run in the fifth after sophomore Melisa Sponholz drove in freshman Reanna Guzman from second with a single up the middle off RCC reliever Nichole Zink.

Riverside (2-0) closed out the scoring after Courtney Brown’s sacrifice fly brought in Marisa Gardea, who tripled to lead off the sixth, against freshman reliever Nancy Montanez.

Campoy picked up the loss for the Vikings to fall to 3-1 overall. She allowed nine hits and six runs (two earned) in 3+ innings of work. Montanez also tossed three innings, allowing two hits and one run. Freshman Christine Kennedy closed out the game for LBCC with a scoreless seventh.

Apodaca (1-0) earned the win for RCC, giving up just one hits and a run while striking out three. Rosario went 3 for 5 at the plate to lead the Tigers’ offense.

Long Beach returns to action on Tuesday (Feb 7) when it travels to face two-time defending state champion Cypress College in a 3 pm non-conference game.