Cougars can’t stop San Joaquin Delta bats in road loss

Cougars can’t stop San Joaquin Delta bats in road loss

It was a game to forget for the Taft College Cougars. On Monday, Taft opened a quick two-game series at San Joaquin Delta College and suffered a 24-4 loss in Stockton. The defeat dropped Taft to 1-4 overall.

It was a rough day to be a Cougar pitcher. Eight of the nine that hit the mound for Taft gave up at least one run. Starter Greyson Barrett (0-1) pitched 1+ inning and allowed 7 runs (5 earned) and four hits in earning the loss.

Ryan Meng was the lone Taft pitcher not to allow a baserunner to score. He struck out the only batter he faced, retiring Delta's Bryan Rosario with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the second.

The game started well for Taft in the top of the first. Wes Herbert reached base thanks to a two-out Delta error and moved to second base on a wild pitch. Keegan Vialpando followed with walk before Jake Pearson smoked a double to bring home Herbert for the game's first of many runs.

But Delta (4-1 overall) scored five runs in the bottom of the first and effectively put the game out of reach with five more in the second.

Kalani Klepfer hit a RBI single in the third while Tyler Gardner and Pearson both drew bases-loaded walks in the eighth to force in runs to close out Taft's scoring.

The Cougars will get their chance for revenge when two squads get back at it on Thursday (Feb. 7) at 1 p.m. to close out the set in Taft.