The El Camino Warriors baseball team dominated the third inning, scoring 6 runs, against the Glendale Vaqueros in Game 1 of the 2019 California Community College Athletic Association Southern Sectionals on Friday, May 17.
After several attempts to find their groove and switching pitchers five times, the Vaqueros couldn’t find a way to stop the Warriors in a 14-2 blowout.
The Warriors got on the scoreboard early. With bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning. Warriors right-handed pitcher Aaron Orozco was at bat and brought infielders Spencer Long and Jerry Granillo home.
Vaqueros right-handed pitcher Gerardo Ramirez had a difficult time on the mound, hitting four Warriors and allowing nine runs.
Long was one of the first Warriors to reach home in the bottom of the third inning after Warriors infielder Taishi Nakawake hit by a pitch. The bases were loaded when Nakawake advanced to first base.
“We did a good job at just hitting our pitch and making sure that we weren’t going to give into their pitching rapport,” Long said.
Warriors infielder Matt Beserra was the second player to tag home in the six-run third inning, but he remains leveled headed for Game 2.
“Keeping our focus is most important and acting like this is either Game 1 or Game 3,” Beserra said. “Just [come] out with the same intensity we did today.”
Warriors right-handed pitcher Jimmy Galicia only allowed 2 Vaqueros runs, each in the top of the sixth inning, and struck out multiple batters.
The Warriors scored three more runs in the bottom of the 7th inning, this time from left fielder Ty Conrad, Aaron Orozco, and Beserra.
“We did a good job of not chasing the offspeed [pitches] out the zone,” Long said. “Last week against Cypress we did a lot of chasing. This weekend we emphasized staying in the zone.”
Warriors coach Nate Fernley is confident the Warriors will be ready for Game 2.
“We had two outs and the bases loaded there it looked we were going to squander an opportunity,” Fernley said. “But we were patient, took some walks and got a big hit. That third inning really put the game away.”
The Warriors face off against the Vaqueros for Game 2 of the Southern Sectionals series Saturday, May 18 at 1 p.m. at Warrior Field.
