Late Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short, No. 12 Baseball Loses First Home Game of 2018, 3-2 to No. 18 Moorpark

A ninth-inning rally fell one run short and ended on the basepath as the Allan Hancock College baseball team lost at home for the first time this season, 3-2 to Moorpark on Saturday. The No. 12 Bulldogs fell to 2-3 in Western State Conference play and 11-11 overall. The No. 18 Raiders improved to 3-2 in league and 13-8 overall.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the ninth, Shane Flaningam delivered a one-out single. Quinntin Perez and Chad Jones also singled in the frame with two outs to load the bases. Marcus Nix, Jr. pinch ran for Jones as Jake Shusterich stepped to the plate. The freshman came through with a basehit, driving in Perez and Flamingam. However, the Raiders recorded the final out of the game when Nix got caught in a run down between home and third to end the game and the rally.

Freshman Zach Torra took the loss for Hancock despite seven solid innings. He allowed just two hits, walked four and struck out seven. He allowed three runs, only one of which was earned. Two errors by the Bulldogs in the fifth inning led to two unearned runs for Moorpark. The Raiders added a third run in the seventh against Torra. Phillip Martin and Phil Almanza both threw one shutout inning of relief.

Hancock outhit the Raiders 12 to four. Perez went 3-for-5, while Tanner Thompson and Jones both went 2-for-4. Shusterich, Daniel Curiel, Ismael Hernandez Josh Harmonay and Flaningam each had one hit.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to play four games next week due to last week's wet weather. Hancock will play Monday, March 19 at 2:30 p.m. at Moorpark, Tuesday, March 20 at Ventura, before hosting the Pirates at 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 22. Hancock will travel to Cuesta on Friday, March 23.