Taft Midway Driller
January 29, 2019
Photo by Doug Keeler
Taft College spring sports off to rocky start
It's only January with the Super Bowl yet to be played, but Taft College spring sports is off and running. Well, stumbling might be more accurate.
Baseball lost 12-6 and 7-3 over the weekend and softball lost 3-of-4 in a row on the road. Men's golf opened the season with a Sunday/Monday tournament on the coast. Results pending.
BASEBALL
The Cougars lost to northern California powerhouse Feather River 12-6 on Saturday and to Barstow 7-3 on Sunday, both at home. In the season opener, both teams socked 13 hits but FRC was more productive. The Golden Eagles started fast with eight runs in the first three innings before the Cougars got on the board with a run in the home half of the third. The Eagles shrugged and scored four more runs to go up 121 before TC cut loose for four runs in the seventh and another in the eighth. TC designated hitter Wes Hebert belted a tworun homer and added a single, Andres Rolon tripled and singled, leadoff hitter Buster Hardman and Jacob Cruz singled twice and Javier Ramirez, James Mc-Callum, Keegan Vialpando and Leo Fontanez all singled.
Head coach Vince Maiocco used five pitchers. The most effective was freshman Cedric Corrales, who came on in relief of starter Cassius Shy in the bottom of the second and worked through the fourth. He allowed an earned run on three hits, struck out seven and walked three. FRC played errorless ball while the Cougars had but one miscue. Things were a bit calmer on Sunday against Barstow. The Cougars scored in the first to take a 1-0 lead, but Barstow took control with seven runs over the next three innings. TC didn't score again until the bottom of the ninth.
Ramirez hit a solo homer and a single, Jade Smoot cracked a double, Hardman had an RBI single and Kenji McCarthy a sacrifice fly. Hebert had the other Cougar hit.
Four hurlers saw action with sophomore Michael Barker pitching four innings of no-run, no-hit ball with four strikeouts and three walks.
The Cougars will travel to Allan Hancock Thursday for a 2 p.m. game and will host Ohlone Friday at 2 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.