The Pasadena City College baseball team is riding the right arm of redshirt freshman Gordon Ingebritson. The 5-foot-11 ace pitched his third win in three collegiate starts as the Lancers defeated Oxnard, 3-1, Thursday at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Field.
Ingebritson allowed just four hits, one unearned run, and struck out six batters in seven innings of work (walked four). Nathan Garkow hurled two innings of no-hit relief for his second save. Ingebritson's 3-0 won-loss record is tied for tops in the state as well as being tied for the state No. 1 mark for innings pitched at 21. He has a sparkling 0.86 ERA and has allowed only three total runs (two earned) while striking out a team-best 18.
Ingebritson outdueled Oxnard's Jesus Chavez, who pitched well, allowing only one earned run and seven hits in seven innings while recording 5 Ks. The Condors defense made four errors behind Chavez and it may have been the difference as it helped PCC produce two unearned runs. In the third inning, Oxnard (2-4) scored its only run on Ingebritson after third baseman Ramon Gomez reached on a single and circled the final three bases without benefit of a batted ball or walk. Gomez was balked to second, and then came around on consecutive passed balls.
Tied 1-1, the Lancers took the lead for good in the fifth. PCC loaded the bases on a walk drawn by first baseman Jason Ajamian, a single to right by centerfielder John Bicos, and a perfectly placed bunt single past the pitcher's mound by shortstop Jose Jimenez. After one out, designated hitter Tony Shue hit a chopper to third, that turned into a 5-4 RBI fielder's choice as Shue was called safe at first when the Oxnard first baseman was unable to hold on to the bag on the ensuing double-play throw. Ajamian scored on the play for a 2-1 lead.
The lefty-hitting and throwing Ajamian reached base all four times, going 2-for-2 with two walks. In the second inning, he lined a RBI single to center for a 1-0 Lancers lead. In the sixth, he drove in his second run on a base hit to left. In the first inning, the freshman made a diving stop to rob a hit away from Oxnard. Jimenez batted 2-for-5 and just missed hitting a home run as his first-inning drive was caught at the left field fence.
In a 6-3 loss at Citrus College on Tuesday, PCC scored all its runs in the third inning on a RBI double by first baseman Daniel Netz and a 2-run homer to left by Shue. The Owls scored four runs off losing pitcher Race Gardner (0-2), knocking out the sophomore returning All-South Coast Conference hurler in the bottom of the second inning when he surrendered his second home run, a solo shot by Shota Usuda. Frank Gonzalez pitched a solid three innings of 1-hit, shutout relief. Meanwhile, it was Citrus reliever Peter Eitapence, who completely shut down the Lancers bats, firing six innings of 1-hit ball with five strikeouts for the mound win.
On Friday, Feb. 9, Coach Pat McGee's Lancers visit Orange Empire power Cypress College for a 2 p.m. start.