Report by LBCC

The Long Beach City College baseball team suffered a narrow 2-1 South Coast Conference loss to visiting Mt. San Antonio College on Thursday at Joe Hicks Memorial Field.

The loss dropped Long Beach to 4-12 overall and 1-3 in conference play.

Freshman Lance Breedlove (1-2) came out on the losing end of a pitcher’s duel. Breedlove scattered seven hits and allowed two runs in the complete-game effort. He struck out four and walked one.

Mt. SAC scored its only runs in the top of the second. Mt. SAC pitcher Tony Jimenez doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third on a bunt single by Ray Ortega. Trent Lively was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Breedlove got Jake Bailey to ground into a double play that brought home Jimenez.

Lively and Ortega pulled off a successful double-steal to close out the Mounties’ scoring.

After a leadoff single in the top of the third, Breedlove settled down to retired 16 batters in a row until a one-out single in the eighth.

The Vikings finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore shortstop Cory Buchheim reached second base after his fly ball was dropped by center fielder David Leonard to lead off the inning. Two batters later, he came in to score on a two-out double by sophomore third baseman Randy Guite.

Long Beach stranded a runner on third with two outs in the eighth inning and had a pair of runners on in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn’t capitalize on the chances.

Jimenez (1-1) allowed just three hits and an unearned run in going the distance for the win. He struck out seven and walked two. Mike Newell and Matt Winkler both went 2 for 4 to lead Mt. SAC (8-8, 4-1 SCC) at the plate.

Long Beach returns to action on Friday (Mar. 12) when it travels to East Los Angeles College for a 2 p.m. SCC game.