Baseball: The Offense Sputters as Glendale Wins in Extras

Huntington Beach, Calif. - Golden West College baseball's offense sputtered in extra innings, falling to Glendale 5-3 Thursday at The Hoov. Rustler baseball sits at 5-2 on the season. 

A go-ahead 10th inning home run to right field by Glendale's Adrian Gonzalez followed by an RBI double to the same field put the Vaqueros ahead 5-3, snapping a five-game winning streak for Golden West. 

Glendale won the race to cross home plate first when two runners reached home off a fielding error by left fielder Dominic Porter. 

The Rustlers fought their way back, tying the game with a run in the fifth and sixth inning. Matthew Olivares safely put a ball into play in the fifth, scoring Dylan Taguiam who was hit by a pitch in the prior at-bat.

First baseman Dylan Kordic, who went 2-for-4 in the box, hit a triple to left center in the sixth inning. Right fielder Jack Salmon put the tying run on the board with an RBI triple that scored Kordic. 

With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the seventh, the Vaqueros regained the lead 3-2 as a result of a wild pitch from Alex Ramos who came out of the bullpen to retire JD Rodriguez for the Rustlers. 

Rodriguez pitched sixth and one-thirds innings for the Rustlers. He ended his outing with five hits, one earned run, a walked batter and eight strikeouts.  

Shortstop Rocco Caballero did not let the Vaqueros hold onto their lead for long, answering with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning that scored Nathan Beckley, creating a brand new ballgame at 3-3. Caballero had another successful game in his first season with the Rustlers, producing three hits in four at-bats. 

A call to the pen in the ninth inning brought returner Matt Gaunt to the mound in hopes to silence the Glendale lineup from stealing the lead once more. Two impressive diving catches from center fielder DJ McEvers and right fielder Salmon did just that, forcing extra innings. 

Gaunt returned to the mound, giving up a no-doubt solo home run over the right field wall. The Vaqueros extended their lead to 5-3 with a RBI double to right field later that inning. 

Kordic put down a base hit in the bottom of the 10th, but was not given any help from the offense to drive him home.

The Rustlers are back in action at Hoover Field on Tuesday at 1 p.m. against Fullerton college.

Written By Marissa Lavezzari