SAN JACINTO — Although his team won Tuesday’s game against Mt. San Jacinto College flawlessly, Chaffey College baseball coach Andrew Smith was not pleased with an attack that left eight runners on the goals.
Chaffey College’s Ryder Young #2, left, celebrates his solo homer off Mt. San Jacinto College pitcher Pierce Sailer #17 during the 8th inning of the Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Greg Luna #3 of Mt. San Jacinto College sends a ground ball and throws Andrew Rodriguez #24 of Chaffey College to diving first base during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday 4 April 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, La Presse-Entreprise/SCNG)
Adrian Vento #5 of Mt. San Jacinto College is unable to make a diving catch of a ball hit by Dylan Alanis #7 of Chaffey College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday 4 April 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, La Presse-Entreprise/SCNG)
Adrian Vento #5 of Mt. San Jacinto College is unable to make a diving catch of a ball hit by Dylan Alanis #7 of Chaffey College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday 4 April 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, La Presse-Entreprise/SCNG)
Adrian Vento #5 of Mt. San Jacinto College is unable to make a diving catch of a ball hit by Dylan Alanis #7 of Chaffey College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday 4 April 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, La Presse-Entreprise/SCNG)
Adrian Vento #5 of Mt. San Jacinto College is unable to make a diving catch of a ball hit by Dylan Alanis #7 of Chaffey College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday 4 April 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, La Presse-Entreprise/SCNG)
Joseph O’Regan #32 of Chaffey College opposes Mt. San Jacinto College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Mt. San Jacinto College’s Tanner Aoki #1 celebrates after scoring against Chaffey College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press- Enterprise/SCNG)
Mt. San Jacinto College’s Evan Stratton #7 pitches against Chaffey College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/ SCNG)
Tanner Aoki #1 of Mt. San Jacinto College tags out Javier Mendez Jr. #12 of Chaffey College as he attempts to steal second base during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday 4 April 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, La Presse-Entreprise/SCNG)
Mt. San Jacinto College’s Tanner Aoki #1 fields a Chaffey College ground ball and throws the runner to first during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Jacob Billings #33 of Chaffey College crosses home plate after scoring against Mt. San Jacinto College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Left to right: Mt. San Jacinto College’s Dayton Thompson #15, Tanner Aoki #1 and Dominick Lombardi #33 watch pitcher Pierce Sailer #17 warm up during a pitching change against Chaffey College during a game Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 14. 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Mt. San Jacinto College’s Pierce Sailer #17 pitches against Chaffey College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/ SCNG)
Mt. San Jacinto College’s Christian Smith #28 celebrates his double against Chaffey College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/ SCNG)
Austin Sargent #34 of Mt. San Jacinto College after hitting a double against Chaffey College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press -Enterprise/SCNG)
Joseph O’Regan #32 from Chaffey College throws the ball first for a Mt. San Jacinto College after fielding a line drive during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, La Presse-Enterprise/SCNG)
Mt. San Jacinto College’s Tanner Aoki #1 throws a Chaffey College batter to first base during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press -Enterprise/SCNG)
Mt. San Jacinto College’s Christian Smith #28 is mobbed after scoring against Chaffey College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press -Enterprise/SCNG)
Mt. San Jacinto College pitcher Pierce Sailer #17 reacts as Chaffey College’s Ryder Young #2 circles third base after hitting a solo homer during an Inland Empire Athletic baseball game Conference in San Jacinto on Thursday April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, La Presse-Enterprise/SCNG)
Chaffey College’s Ryder Young #2 celebrates with the bench after scoring against Mt. San Jacinto College during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Mt. San Jacinto College’s Tanner Aoki #1 steals second off Chaffey College second baseman Christian Mosqueda #4 during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday 4 April 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press -Business/SCNG)
Chaffey College’s PJ Torrez Jr. #35, second from right, celebrates his home run off Mt. San Jacinto College pitcher Evan Stratton #7 during an Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Mt. San Jacinto College’s Dominick Lombardi #33 reacts after flying out to left center field to end the Inland Empire Athletic Conference baseball game in San Jacinto on Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
On Thursday afternoon, the Panthers scored seven runs between the third and fourth innings to take control early. Chaffey then staved off a late challenge and earned an 8-5 win over MSJC to stay atop the IEAC rankings.
“We didn’t use the sticks particularly well on Tuesday, so I was really happy to see the guys get some success early,” Smith said. “Pierce Sailer pitched really well against us in relief and really kept them where things could have easily gotten away, and that’s what you get with a quality program like MSJC.”
Both teams squandered scoring chances early, but Chaffey (21-9 overall, 15-2 IEAC) broke through in the third set. Ryder Young and Jacob Billings had back-to-back singles and eventually scored on an error. Javier Mendez Jr added an RBI single before MSJC’s Evan Stratton got a pair of flyouts to end this inning.
MSJC (22-7, 13-3) got one of those runs in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Juni Rodriguez.
Seven of the 13 runs in Thursday’s game were scored in the fourth inning.
Chaffey’s Yahir Ramirez doubled in a run and then scored on a double by Young. Torrez closed the inning with a two-run homer, giving starting pitcher Joseph O’Regan an even bigger cushion to work with.
“Joe mixes pitches really well, and as a pitcher what I like is I don’t have to be fastball dominant with him,” Smith added. He doesn’t throw like a freshman.
MSJC responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Josh McAninch started things off with a single and scored on a groundout. Christian Smith’s two-run double later in the inning cut the deficit to 7-4. Smith scored another run in the seventh inning, but the Eagles squandered an opportunity to add more runs after Chaffey reliever James Rivera used a groundout and a strikeout to strand a pair of runners and put end this threat.
In the top of the ninth, Young hit Chaffey’s second home run to give the Panthers another insurance run.
Chaffey’s Damian Hernandez earned a six-out save, allowing just one hit to Tanner Aoki in the bottom of the ninth.
“We played really well offensively and were able to really take control early in this game,” Young said. “But we know there’s still a lot of baseball left and anything can happen.”
O’Regan earned the win for Chaffey, going six innings while giving up four runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and just one walk. Young and Smith were the top hitters on their respective teams, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
Chaffey will look to complete the series sweep when it hosts the Eagles on Saturday at 1 p.m.
