The 2020 season got off to a bumpy start for the Taft College baseball team. On Friday, the Cougars suffered a 12-1 loss to visiting Moorpark College in both teams' season opener.
Moorpark banged out 16 hits against six Taft pitchers, including five off Cougar starting pitcher Manny Guzman. He was charged with four earned runs in his first start of the season as Moorpark opened the game with three runs in the top of the first inning and poured it on by scoring four times in the second.
Taft got its bats going early, getting its lone run in the bottom of the first off Moorpark starter Lance Kinross. Tyren Dorrance got the rally started with a one-out single and moved to third base on a double by Chris Ortega. Greyson Barrett got the run home with his ground out to shortstop to cut the Raiders' lead to 3-1.
But Kinross settled down from there. He went the distance for Moorpark, scattering five hits over nine innings. He struck out nine and walked none.
Dorrance went 2 for 3 to lead the Cougars at the plate. Luis DeLeon singled for Taft's final hit.
Guzman took the loss after allowing seven runs and five hits over 1 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two. Jordan Eldred tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief while Julian DeLeon tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
Taft (0-1) will look to get into the win column on Saturday (Jan. 25) when they take on Feather River College at 11 a.m. in Bakersfield. On Sunday (Jan. 26), the Cougars will face host Bakersfield in a 2 p.m. game.