The streak is finally over. Chris Ortega collected three hits while a trio of Taft College pitchers tossed six scoreless innings to help lead the Cougars to a 7-3 Central Valley Conference win over visiting Reedley College on Wednesday.
The victory snapped a 19-game losing streak that dated back to late April. Taft's last win also came against Reedley, back on April 20.
TC starting pitcher Julian DeLeon recovered from a rough first inning that saw the visiting Tigers jump out to a 2-0 lead. But Taft effectively erased those runs by scoring twice in the bottom of the first. An RBI groundout by Christian Wilson drove in Andres Garza and Chris Scherbarth singled home Ortega to even up the ballgame.
The Tigers put up their final run in the third to go ahead briefly 3-2. Taft responded again with a two-run inning, as Damien Holmes drove in a Scherbarth and R.J. Munoz for what would prove to be the game-winning runs.
With Taft leading 4-3, DeLeon cruised through his final three innings on the mound by retiring nine of the final 10 batters he faced. Reliever Treven Washsmuth got into some trouble in the seventh, walking a pair but was able to pitch out of it to record a scoreless inning. And regular starting pitcher Jordan Eldred came out of the bullpen to toss the final two innings and record the save.
DeLeon went six innings, allowing three runs and nine hits while striking out six to earn his first victory of the year.
Taft added single runs in the fourth, sixth, and eighth innings. Genta Yamazaki stole home on an attempted double steal, Wilson's groundout brought home a run, while a Reedley error allowed Ortega to come home.
The Cougars are 2-24 overall and 2-20 in Central Valley Conference play as they enter their final day of play. On Friday (May 28), Taft travels to Merced College for a 12 p.m. doubleheader to close out a tough 2021 season.