MSJC Baseball Comes Up Just Short in Slugfest

The MSJC baseball team put up 17 runs on Tuesday afternoon in just six innings, but came up just short of earning their first win of the year as they lost to Cerritos 18-17.

The offenses of both teams were on display from the opening inning as the Falcons jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  The Eagles responded by scoring 7 times in the bottom half with the big blow being a two run homer by Peter Brooks.  The offensive onslaught continued as Cerritos scored 8 times in the top of the second to reclaim the lead for themselves.  MSJC chipped away to tie the game at 11-11 after four as they scored a single run in the second, two in the third, and one more in the fourth.  D.J. Downen singled in a run in the second, Aaron Harper singled in two in the 3rd, and Alfred Lopez came through with an RBI double in the fourth.

Cerritos then had another big inning as they put 6 runs on the board in the top of the 5th, a Joseph Hauck double in the bottom of the inning scored Harper and after 5 the Eagles trailed 17-12.  After the Falcons tacked on yet another in the top of the sixth, things got wild in the bottom as darkness crept in on the game.  Nathan Baker singled in a pair of runs for MSJC, but was thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw. Three batters later Harper laced a 3 run homerun over the left field wall to cut the lead to 18-17. Downen and Hauck followed with back to back walks, putting the tying and winning runs on base, but MSJC was unable to take advantage.

Harper finished his huge day with 3 hits and 5 RBIs, while the Eagles pounded out 16 hits as a team.  Baker also finished the afternoon with 3 hits, he had a pair of RBIs.  Gabriel Ponce De Leon, Ajay Parcero, Brooks, and Hauck all finished the day driving in two runs a piece.

MSJC is back in action on Thursday when they travel to Fullerton for a 2 pm game.