Hancock Baseball Blanks Oxnard 5-0 Behind Gem from Armstrong

Sophomore Walker Armstrong threw eight shutout innings to support the Bulldogs' four-run first inning as the Allan Hancock College baseball team blanked Oxnard 5-0 in a Western State Conference battle on Saturday. The Bulldogs improved to 1-2 in conference and 8-12 overall. The Condors fell to 0-3 in conference and 10-10-1 overall. The Bulldogs will host Oxnard at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 14.

In his most impressive start of the season, Armstrong allowed just three hits and issued one walk over eight innings. He struck out seven Condors and did not allow a runner beyond second base. The St. Joseph High School graduate also induced two double play groundballs. Freshman Dylan Maiden pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve the Bulldogs' first conference win of the season.

Hancock wasted no time getting on the board. Josh Harmonay and Daniel Curiel drew back-to-back walks to lead off the game. Harmonay later advanced to third on a fly ball off the bat of Quinntin Perez and Curiel stole second base. With one out, Maiden reached on an error by the Oxnard shortstop that allowed both runners to score to give Hancock the lead for good at 2-0. Chris Taitague followed with a RBI-single to drive in Maiden, who had advanced to second on the error to give Hancock a 3-0 advantage. After Brendan Gomez singled moving Taitague to second, Kyle von Tillow reached on an error by the Oxnard first baseman that allowed Taitague to score to cap the four-run inning.

Kyle von Tillow went 3-for-4 for the Bulldogs to lead the team's six-hit attack. He singled and later scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to account for Hancock's final run of the game. Gomez went 2-for-4 for Hancock. Maiden and Taitague each had one RBI.