Bulldog Baseball Stays Undefeated at Home, Defeats Canyons 8-5

The Allan Hancock College baseball team sent 19 men to the plate and scored eight runs combined in the first two innings and held on for an 8-5 win over College of the Canyons on a wet and overcast Tuesday afternoon at John Osborne Field. The Bulldogs snapped a five-game losing skid to improve to 4-5. Hancock moved to 4-0 at home to open the 2018 season. Canyons, which came from behind last week to defeat the Bulldogs 9-4 as part of a four-game winning streak, fell to 5-3.

The Bulldogs scored three times in the bottom of the first inning and sent nine men to the plate. Daniel Curiel hit a one-out single and stole second, while Ismael Hernandez singled to start the rally. Cordell Bowie followed with a RBI-single to drive in Curiel with the game's first run. Josh Tonascia walked to load the bases for Chad Jones, who promptly singled home Hernandez to give Hancock a 2-0 lead. Catcher Reed Odland drew a walk with the bases loaded to force in Bowie to cap the three-run first against Canyons pitcher Eric Little.

The Bulldogs went right to work in the second against reliever Anthony Gomez. After Quinntin Perez was hit by a pitch, Curiel singled. With Hernandez hitting, both runners took off, and the Canyons catcher's threw the ball away allowing Perez to trot home to make it 4-0. After Hernandez singled to move Curiel to third, Bowie delivered his second RBI-single of the day to push the lead to 5-0. Tonascia walked to load the bases for Jones. The sophomore second baseman answered again with a RBI-single to make it 6-0. Later in the inning, Odland singled home a run and Marcus Nix, Jr. drove in another by grounding into a fielder's choice.

After racking up eight runs and eight hits in the first two innings, Hancock managed one hit, a single by Jones, the rest of the way. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, Hancock's pitching staff took care of the rest.

Sophomore pitcher Dylan Maiden picked up the win in his first collegiate start. The Cabrillo High School graduate threw 6 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, two walks and striking out five. The right-handed pitcher allowed five runs, four of which were earned. Maiden's first 19 appearances on the mound for the Bulldogs were out of the bullpen.

Hernandez came in from the bullpen with two outs in the seventh inning and bases loaded. He walked the first batter he faced to force in a run that was charged to Maiden, but escaped the jam by striking out Corbin Williams to escape the jam and preserve the lead. Hernandez threw 2 1/3 innings of shutout relief. He struck out five and scattered four hits to earn his first collegiate save.

Jones led the Bulldogs' nine-hit attack with a 3-for-4 day. He drove in two runs and enjoyed his first three-hit game of the season. Hernandez and Bowie collected two hits apiece. Jones, Bowie and Odland each finished with 2 RBI.

The Bulldogs will continue their three-game homestand by hosting Irvine Valley on Friday at 2 p.m. and again on Saturday at 12 p.m.