The Taft College offense finally came alive, scoring a season-high eight runs in Wednesday's Central Valley Conference series finale at Reedley College. Unfortunately, Reedley had a pair of five-run innings and handed the Cougars a 13-8 loss.
Reedley took both games of the series to drop Taft to 1-6 overall and 1-5 in the CVC. The Tigers improved to 6-2 and 4-2 in conference play.
Taft got out to an early 1-0 thanks to a two-out Reedley error in the top of the first inning that allowed R.J. Munoz to score.
Reedley even things up with a run in the bottom of the frame and went up 2-1 in the second. But Taft finally got the big inning it has been waiting all season for. The Cougars erupted for a five-run rally in the top of the third.
Munoz led off with a walk and moved to third on a double by Jackson Van Roekel. With one out, Luis DeLeon and Christian Wilson hit back-to-back doubles to put TC in front 3-2. An error and fielder's choice allowed two more runs to score and Munoz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in the final run.
But the Tigers responded with five-run outbursts in the fourth and fifth to jump ahead for good.
DeLeon (2 for 3, 1 RBI, 1 R) and Wilson (2 for 4, 1 RBI, 1 R) both had two hits to lead Taft at the plate. Treven Wachsmuth allowed four runs and five hits over 3 2/3 innings in the start for the Cougars.
Taft returns to action on Friday (April 23) when the Cougars host Merced College in a conference doubleheader that is scheduled to start at 12 p.m.