No. 19 Hancock Baseball Closes Canyons Tournament with 9-6 Loss to San Diego Mesa

Despite home runs from Brendan Gomez and Nash Ackerman, and three RBI from Quinntin Perez, the Allan Hancock College baseball team lost 9-6 to San Diego Mesa to close out a three-day tournament hosted by College of the Canyons Saturday. The No. 19 Bulldogs dropped their fourth straight game to fall to 2-4. San Diego Mesa evened its mark to 3-3.

Hancock struck first in the bottom of the first when Perez hit a two-out double and came around to score on a RBI-single from Brian Dowell. After the Olympians hit a two-run home run in the second, Hancock answered in the bottom half with a solo home run by Ackerman, his first of the season, and a RBI-single from Perez to drive in Daniel Curiel who had doubled earlier in the inning. The back-and-forth game continued with the Olympics taking a 4-3 lead in the fourth only to have Perez hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive home Curiel to tie it 4-4.  The Olympians reclaimed the lead at 5-4 in the top of the fifth, but the Bulldogs tied it 5-5 in the sixth when Gomez went deep for the first time this season.

San Diego Mesa took the lead for good with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings, and two more in the ninth.

Perez, who started at shortstop and hit third, went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Gomez and third baseman Josh Harmonay had two hits apiece. Hancock finished with 11 hits overall. The Olympians accumulated 18 hits, four off the bat of third baseman Kevin Bristow, who hit two home runs and drove in three runs.

Freshman Phillip Martin started for the Bulldogs. He allowed 11 hits, five runs, four of them earned, over six innings. He walked two and struck out one for the Bulldogs. Nate Alcantar took the loss after he allowed four runs and five hits over two innings of relief. Freshman Matt Hamon struck out one and allowed two hits in a scoreless inning of relief.

Hancock lost two days before to the Olympians 9-7 after San Diego Mesa erased a 7-1 sixth-inning deficit with a run in the sixth, four in the seventh, and three in the eighth. Sophomore center fielder Kyle von Tillow had 3 RBI, and third baseman Ryan Peinado drove in two for the Bulldogs. Walker Armstrong received a no decision after he left with a 7-1 lead after five solid innings on the mound. Dylan Maiden allowed one run and three hits in the sixth inning. Mesa scored seven runs on six hits, including three home runs, against relievers Elijah Ortiz and Phil Almanza in the seventh and eighth innings.

The Bulldogs will return to action Thursday, February 9, at 3 p.m. at Reedley. The Bulldogs will host Reedley, Saturday, Feb. 11, at 1 p.m. The Tigers were ranked No. 17 in the Northern California Preseason Poll.