The Pasadena City College baseball team swept Compton in a 3-game, South Coast Conference series, stretching their win streak v. the Coyotes to eight going back to 2024. In fact, since the 2016 season, the Lancers are 23-1 v. Compton, the only loss coming in ’24.
The Lancers are now comfortably over the .500 mark for now at 12-10 overall and improved to 6-3 in conference play and fourth place in the SCC standings.
Currently unranked in the CCCBCA Home Run 30 State Rankings, Pasadena takes a 4-game win streak into a 2-game, non-conference series v. #26 Golden West. The Lancers host the Rustlers on Wednesday, Mar. 18 in a 2 p.m. first pitch at Brookside Park’s Jackie Robinson Field, then travel to Huntington Beach for the second contest on Thursday, Mar. 19 at 1 p.m.
In the opener of the Compton series on the road Mar. 10, the Lancers needed an eighth-inning, RBI single up the middle by shortstop Omar Cisneros to beat the Coyotes, 4-3. Cisneros batted 3-for-4 with three ribbies including a 2-run, opposite field double to right in the fourth. Rightfielder Luke Bauer was 2-for-5.
On the mound, Jeremy Vargas pitched a solid effort, leaving the game an out short of a possible win at the time (4.2 scoreless innings) as he was relieved after allowing only four hits and striking out four. But up 2-0, the bullpen failed him as Compton tied it on Amaree Burnett’s 2-run single to center in that fifth inning.
Sergio Robles pitched three innings of 1-hit shutout relief to close out his first win of the season.
In game 2 on Mar. 12 at Brookside, the Lancers plated a season high in runs in an 18-4 rout over Compton. PCC scored six in the second and seven in the sixth to break it open. Second baseman Logan Parker led the attack in going 2-for-4 with a pair of 2-run doubles, scored three times and finished with four RBI.
Cisneros also drove in four RBI on a single and two sacrifice flies, third baseman Chris Torres batted 2-for-3 with two walks and scored four runs, catcher Joaquin Salcedo also crossed the plate four times and added a single and two walks, and centerfielder Xiovany Ochoa was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs driven in.
Matt Garcia hurled three innings of 2-hit scoreless relief and struck out three to collect the victory.
Second baseman Joey Ramos knocked in six runs (2-for-5) as Pasadena closed out the sweep on Saturday with a 17-5 triumph. Torres scored five runs, going 2-for-3 with two walks, the red-hot Cisneros was 2-for-6 with a double and four RBI, Ochoa hit 3-for-6 with a double and two stolen bases, first baseman Ricky Gonzales went 2-for-3, scored three runs and batted in two, Salcedo was 2-for-5 with a double, designated hitter Kyle Ly drew three walks, and Diego Gurfein added a double.
The beneficiary of the offense was starter and winning pitcher AJ Flores, who threw five innings, allowed five hits, did not walk a batter and struck out four to improve his record to 3-3. Lefty Alex Valencia threw two shutout innings and Camren Lobo 1.1 scoreless frames. Lobo threw a scoreless inning (two K’s) in the Thursday win.
Since Feb. 24 in the last eight games, the sophomore Cisneros is en fuego, batting 17-for-38, .447, and he has RBI in each of his last six games with 16 overall. In the Compton series, he knocked in 11 runs.
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