After scoring only 21 runs, seven in each of its three wins over Compton last week, the Pasadena City College baseball team unleashed the type of relentless offense it's been known to produce on Tuesday. The Lancers erased an early 3-0 deficit by scoring nine runs in the second inning en route to a 17-9 triumph at Rio Hondo College.
Matching a season-high in runs scored, PCC won its eighth straight game and remained in a first-place tie with Mt. San Antonio atop the South Coast Conference standings. The state's #8-ranked Lancers are 23-7 overall and 12-4 in SCC play.
Shortstop Raider Tello continued his sensational freshman season by batting 3-for-5 with a double, his team-leading fifth home run and five RBI. Tello leads the state in hits (59) and is tied for fourth in RBI with teammate Max Blessinger (both 42). His .437 batting average is sixth in the state and his 14 doubles is tied for third among the leaders.
The entire Lancers lineup reached base without an out recorded in the second inning. Leftfielder Aryonis Harrison (3-for-6), catcher Matthew Delgado (1-for-2, four walks, four runs), and second baseman Andrew Scannell had consecutive RBI singles, Blessinger drew a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, Tello singled in a run, then third baseman Toshiki Kuriya cleared the bases on a 3-RBI double.
Blessinger, a sophomore centerfielder, went 1-for-5 but scored three runs to give him a state-leading 46, five more than the next highest run scorer. He is tied for third in state hits with 53.
Kuriya finished 3-for-6 with four RBI as the Japanese import is on a streak of batting 15-for-42 with 10 RBI over his last nine starts. Another hot hitter is pitcher/outfielder/designated hitter Jakob Guardado (2-for-4) who is 7-for-his-last-14 at bats. Harrison is also on an offensive binge, 10-for-22 in his last six games with eight runs, six stolen bases, five hit-by-pitches, and four walks. His on-base percentage is .613 during the streak.
Rider Gardner hurled two no-hit innings of relief to pick up his third victory while Nicolas Day earned a 3-inning save (his second), allowing two hits, a run and striking out two.
PCC head coach Pat McGee picked up his 130th career victory and since the 2017 season his overall record is an impressive 107-68 (.611 win percentage). The current 8-game win streak is the longest by a PCC team since at least going back to the 1960s. The longest win streak this century previously was seven games in a row by the 2001 team (March 15-28), coached by Mike Scolinos. That squad went on to finish 20-20 overall.
The Lancers continue their 3-game set v. Rio Hondo on Thursday, April 7 in a 2:30 p.m. first pitch at Jackie Robinson Memorial Field.