Hancock Baseball Falls 7-5 at First Place Oxnard

Freshman shortstop Ellis Gerussi-Turner hit a leadoff home run and finished with three hits, but the Allan Hancock College baseball team fell 7-5 at Oxnard in a Western State Conference game on Thursday afternoon. The Bulldogs dropped to 7-12 in conference and 11-19 overall. The Condors, who are ranked fourth in the Southern California Regional, improved to 13-4 in conference and 22-6-1 for the season. First place Oxnard extended its lead over Santa Barbara in the conference standings to one game.

Gerussi-Turner led off the game with a home run, his first of the season, to give Hancock the early 1-0 lead. Oxnard's Dustyn Cook hit a two-run double in the second against Hancock starter Henry Fienga to give the Condors a 2-1 lead. The Bulldogs tied it 2-2 in the fourth when freshman first baseman Tim Mahoney singled to bring home Colton Studebaker, who led off the frame with a single.

Oxnard responded with a run in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. The Bulldogs answered right back when Hunter Christensen hit a two-out double in the sixth to score Zach Lampreia and Santa Ynez High School graduate Colby Barrick to put Hancock ahead 4-3.

The lead was short-lived because Oxnard responded with four runs in the six against reliever Conner Loeppky. The right-handed allowed four hits, four runs and walked two in 1 1/3 innings and was charged with the loss.

Hancock rallied in the seventh as Carver Tippett singled and moved to second on a basehit from Gerussi-Turner. Studebaker laid down a sacrifice bunt that was misplayed by the Oxnard second baseman to allow Tippett to score and make it a two-run deficit. However, the Bulldogs could not cash in further on the two-on and no out situation.

Hancock finished with eight hits, while Oxnard had 10. Lampreia, Mahoney, a St. Joseph High School graduate, Christensen and Tippett had one hit each for the Bulldogs.

Fienga earned a no-decision after he allowed three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings for the Bulldogs. The Hancock left-hander waslked five and struck out one. Freshman Diego Rodriguez threw two shutout innings for Hancock. He allowed one hit and walked one. Oxnard hitters drew eight walks.

Oxnard starter Blake Redman improved to 11-0 after he allowed five runs, four earned, over seven innings. He walked three and fanned two. Joshua Kubiske earned the save with two perfect innings.

The Bulldogs return home to host Oxnard on Saturday, April 11, at 1 p.m.