RIVERSIDE – In a game which was moved up two hours to avoid getting rained out, the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers moved up to no worse than a tie for first place in the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) as they came up with another “walk-off” win with an 11-inning, 5-4 OEC victory over the Golden West College (GWC) Rustlers at the Evans Sports Complex Saturday afternoon.
Golden West (9-6, 1-2 OEC) took a 4-0 lead after 2-1/2 innings, including three unearned runs in the top of the third, before the Tigers came back in the bottom of the seventh.
With one out, sophomore DH Chris Hass dumped a single into right-center field. Freshman C Mike Denucci followed with a ground-ball single through the left side. Sophomore LF Wynton Bernard parachuted a single just inside the right-field line to load the bases. With two outs, freshman infielder Curtis Cassise a walk to force in the Tigers’ first run. Freshman 2B Billy Nottingham bounding ball up the middle that GWC starter LHP Mark Trentacosta slowed just enough that SS Michael Syrett couldn’t nab Nottingham at first, driving in another run. Freshman RF Frankie Torres then drilled a double off the glove of Rustler 3B A.J. Bayus that then squirted into foul territory as the Tigers tied the game at 4-4.
In the bottom of the 11th inning, Cassise singled to third base and wound up at second when the errant throw sailed down the right-field line. Freshman pinch-hitter Michael Castello was intentionally walked. Sophomore pinch-hitter Brandon Day reached first base on a sacrifice bunt when Bayus elected to try for the force at third base, but his throw was late to load the bases. Up stepped freshman CF Aaron Lafountaine who then delivered a blooping single over the shortstop’s head into short left-center field to drive in the winning run. It marked the second straight home game that Lafountaine had the game-winning RBI in extra innings.
As has been the case lately for home games, the contest moved quickly through the first six innings, as it took only 1:28, but 1:49 to play the final five frames.
RCC closer, freshman RHP Devin Johnson, improved to 2-0 with a spotless 11th and GWC reliever Blake Cster (0-4), who logged the final out in the bottom of the tenth, was tagged with the loss.
Rustlers return to OEC action on Tuesday, Mar. 9, at 2 p.m. where they will host the Santa Ana College Dons.
