Baseball Opens Season with Sweep at Sequoias

VISALIA, Calif. - The Allan Hancock College baseball team kicked off the 2023 campaign with a road sweep after a two-day showing at College of the Sequoias on Friday and Saturday. 

The Bulldogs are set to host Long Beach City College for the home opener on Tuesday, January 31st. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 PM at John Osborne Field. 

GAME ONE: AHC 7, COS 5 | BOX SCORE

Elijah Pascual put the Bulldogs on the board early in the season opener after a sacrifice fly to right plated one runner in the first inning. Hancock surged ahead in the second frame with a five-run rally, sparked by a trio of RBI singles from Gavin Long, Brayan Nunez, and Bridger Coleman. The Giants managed to plate two runs after scoring on a fielder's choice in the third and a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the fifth. Nunez earned his second RBI of the day in the sixth after reaching first on an error while plating an awaiting runner from third. The home squad threatened a comeback in the bottom of the sixth after scoring three runs on three hits, but fell short after both teams went scoreless through the final three frames. 

Long led the team with a 4-for-5 showing at the plate to go along with three runs and one RBI. Nunez, Coleman, and Tommy Kendlinger also finished the day with multiple hits after registering two knocks apiece. 

Nate Wenzel earned the win on the mound after striking out six batters through 3.1 innings of work, while Cooper Bagby collected the save by punching out two batters and walking one through the final 1.2 frames. Bradley Waite, the starting pitcher in the opener, and Mason Robertson also appeared on the rubber but did not factor into the final decision. 

GAME TWO: AHC 14, COS 10 | BOX SCORE

The offense was booming for both teams on Saturday as the two programs combined for 24 runs on 31 hits. Nunez and Caelan Dalman each registered one RBI in the opening frame, but the hosting Giants answered with a pair of RBIs to knot the score. The Bulldogs responded in the second with a three-run showing after Pascual and Coleman both notched doubles, but the hosting squad matched the effort once more with a trio of scores. 

The visiting crew managed to pull away slightly in the fourth with a six-run rally, highlighted by a triple from Dalman that plated three tallies, while limiting COS to a four-run showing in the bottom of the frame. Hancock put up three more runs down the stretch after Long scored on a wild pitch in the fifth before a single by Niko Pecskovszky plated two in the next frame. The scoring frenzy ended for both sides in the bottom of the sixth after a Giants runner made it home on a wild pitch before the two teams went scoreless through the final three innings once again. 

Long registered his second 4-for-5 showing of the weekend, which included four runs and a pair of doubles. Dalman's effort at the plate led to four RBIs and one triple while Pascual, Nunez, Coleman, and Pecskovszky each recorded two RBIs.

Nick Brown earned the win in his collegiate debut after two innings of work. Lucas Earle and Christian Dijkman combined to strike out six batters and surrendered just one hit through the final three frames, but did not factor into the final decision. Luke Kovach earned his first start of the season on the bump and tossed 3.2 innings.