Tensions were high as EC trailed 4-2 in the top of the ninth as Mt. San Antonio College Mountie home run hitter, Adrian Franco, outfielder, stepped up to the plate.

Franco put an end to any notion of a comeback as he hit a towering double to left center field to give Mt. SAC a deciding 7-2 lead.

This would be the final score as Mt. SAC beat EC Saturday, in a heartbreaker that came down to the last inning but ultimately got away from them.

“Baseball. That’s what we play. sometimes those things go your way, and sometimes they don’t,” coach Nate Fernley said. “When you have a really good pitcher on the mound like they did, and you make mistakes like that, it’s going to be tough to beat them.”

The Warriors kept it close throughout the game. Only allowing two runs in the top of the third. That was before starting freshman, pitcher Alex Navarrete, loaded up the bases allowing Mt. SAC to score on a walk and a fielder’s choice.

“I walked too many people and it came back to haunt me,” Navarrete said.

Mt. SAC added to their lead in the top of seventh with a double to left field which gave them a 3-0 advantage, but EC would answer back quickly, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Sean Isaac, sophomore, first baseman, started off the rally with a double down the right field line; after a walk and a fielder’s choice the Warriors had men on first and third which then brought Tony Poncia, freshman, shortstop, to the plate and doubled into left field and cut Mt. SAC’s lead to one.

“We did a really good job of executing and throwing strikes when we needed to,” Fernley said.

The Warriors headed into the top of the ninth inning trailing 3-2, and needing a defensive stop in order to have a chance to win.

The inning did not start off well for EC after Mt. SAC scored again on a wild pitch. This was followed with a walk and two singles, and the Mounties had the bases loaded with Franco coming up to the plate.

Franco would double to left center and effectively put away the game with a 7-2 lead.

“We had a couple chances there to get outs that we just weren’t able to do. Those kinds of things happen in baseball,” catcher, sophomore, Justin McCullough, said. “Those things can’t happen if you want to win close ball games. We have to be able to get those outs when we need them.”

The Warrior’s had a three game win streak coming into this series after having swept Pasadena City College the week before.

The first game of this series had Dalton Erb, freshman, pitcher, throw a superb seven innings before the bullpen gave up the lead and cost them the game; EC would bounce right back and win the next game at Mt. San Antonio with a 10-4 victory.

This set the stage for a deciding game three at El Camino, but the Warriors were just not able to put the Mounties away.

“We fought hard to the end. We’re a no-give-in kind of team. The score doesn’t indicate how close the game really was,” McCullough said.

The Warriors began a two game series with Irvine City College  on Tuesday and won 12-4.

Poncia and freshman, Dylan Hatch, utility player both went 3 for 5. The Warriors put up 5 runs in both the 7th and 8th innings.

They have another game today at 2 p.m.; they resume conference play with EC Compton April 9.

“We’re still in first place, and we control our own destiny. We need to get back to work and get ready for the next game,” Fernley said.