Baseball: Goes Down in Extras to the Lasers to Open Series

Huntington Beach, Calif. - Golden West College baseball fell to IVC, 6-4, in extra innings after climbing their way back from behind at Hoover Field on Tuesday. The Rustlers are 20-18 overall and 6-13 in Orange Empire play. 

Third baseman Preston Allen started the scoring off in the third inning with an RBI single that drove in Nathan Beckley. Beckley led off with a double down the left field line.

After a pitching change and an error by IVC's second baseman loaded the bases, right fielder Jack Salmon reached on a fielder's choice, grabbing a 2-0 lead over the Lasers. 

JD Rodriguez made his 14th start, pitching through six innings. His final line of work included four earned runs– one being a home run to right field, two walks and five strikeouts. 

Jake Ferretti pitched through the eighth, allowing one hit through two innings. 

Offensive production grew silent for the Rustlers until the bottom of the ninth, where the top of the rotation gained enough momentum to tie the game 4-4. 

Allen turned a single into a three-bag hit after a defensive error in the outfield. He didn't spend much time at third base as catcher Ayden Garcia followed with a sacrifice fly, making it a one run ballgame with two outs on the board. 

Allen is batting .385 on the year with 21 RBI after going 3-for-5 at the plate. Garcia went 2-for-2 with a walk and RBI, boosting his batting average to .395. 

Second baseman Dylan Lina kept the effort alive, earning a base on balls, setting up first baseman Dylan Kordic for success. Kordic reached on another error by the second baseman and Salmon walked to put the Rustlers in a bases loaded situation. 

IVC turned to their bullpen to get themselves out of a jam, but the new arm hit outfielder Ulisses Perez on the back to walk the tying run in. The Rustlers stranded three after hitting into an unassisted groundout to first base, leaving a total of 13 runners on base. 

Lucas Hines made his way to the mound of the Rustlers in the ninth inning. Hines was charged with a hit, unearned run, a walk, two strikeouts and the loss. 

Jack Smith entered in relief for Hines in the 10th, but saw two runs cross home plate after an error by Allen at the hot corner and an error by Ayden behind the dish. The Rustlers struggled to find any more fight in them, allowing IVC to secure their first win of the season in a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th inning. 

The Rustlers aim to even the series at IVC on Thursday starting at 2 p.m. 

Written By: Marissa Lavezzari