The Lancer bats broke out early for six runs in the first inning and yet PCC still found a way to lose, falling 13-10 on the road to East L.A. College on Tuesday.Head coach Evan O’Meara was visibly distraught after the game, pacing up and down the third baseline after he watched his club give up 13 runs and a season-high 21 hits. PCC had 10 runs but stranded runners in key situations.
ELAC (28-14, 15-7) scored runs in six of the nine innings and chipped away at the Lancer lead with four runs in the fourth and two runs in the fifth, then cut PCC off with three runs in the seventh and two runs in the eighth.
PCC, now 6-35 overall and 6-16 in the South Coast Conference, put up double digit runs for the first time in nearly two months and only the second time this season. Freshman Roderick Martinez started off the rally with a solo home run in the first and the Lancers followed him with seven consecutive singles by the heart of their lineup, starting with sophomore sensation Lee Pope.
Pope was his usual self, spraying hits all over the field going 4-for-5. Pope hit a solo home run to right field in the fourth inning, had an RBI single to tie the game 8-8 in the sixth, and an RBI single in the seventh. Freshman catcher Kevin Dultz went 2-for-4, freshman second baseman Jesus Ventura was 2-for-5, and freshman Roderick Martinez went 2-for-6.
(Richard Quinton / Courier)After the game, Pope was encouraged by the fight the team showed.
“The losses kill me, but we just keep working hard. We have that bulldog mentality every time we come up to the plate,” Pope said.
PCC finishes the season with back-to-back games against L.A. Harbor, with a home game today at 2:30 p.m. and a game at L.A Harbor Friday at 2:30 p.m.
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