Kyle Noell continues to be a brightspot as the Lancers weekly first starter with 6.1 innings of 3-hit ball and his battery mate Matthew Delgado batted 3-for-3 with two RBI to lift the Pasadena City College baseball team over host East Los Angeles, 4-1, in the South Coast Conference opener for both squads on Tuesday.
The Lancers upped their overall record to 8-4 while the Huskies dropped to 2-10.
Noell improved to 3-0 on the season with his best performance since joining the Lancers program last year as a freshman. The 6-foot-8 righthander had a shutout through six innings facing just two batters over the minimum behind two double plays turned by the PCC infield and a pickoff.
Noell's only blemish was a RBI triple by ELAC's Alex Mendez that ended the sophomore's day in the seventh with PCC ahead, 3-1. Closer Rider Gardner relieved Noell with Mendez at third, then got the next hitter Moises Nolasco to hit a comebacker. Gardner fired it to Delgado who ran down Mendez for one out, then wheeled and fired a back door throw to first baseman Jake Trabbie who tagged out Nolasco before he could get back to the bag.
Gardner pitched 2.2 innings, allowing just one hit to close it out for his third save.
It was a banner day for letterman catcher Delgado who reached base five times (two walks) and delivered superb defense including his two-out play in the seventh. He added a caught stealing on a throw in the sixth inning.
It was Delgado's 2-RBI single in the fifth that broke a scoreless tie. Left-handed batting Jakob Guardado contributed an opposite field, RBI single to make it 3-0. Delgado singled to open up the ninth and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Trabbie for an insurance.
Second baseman Fabian Dominguez batted 2-for-3 while third baseman Toshiki Kuriya went 2-for-4.
In a non-conference game played on Saturday, West Los Angeles broke a 10-game losing streak in the series between the two schools with a 6-4 win at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Field. Guardado pitched a brilliant five innings, allowing one hit and striking out eight and got a no decision. Designated hitter Patrick Garcia was 2-for-5 with a double and backup infielder Jack Esguerra slapped a 2-RBI single that cut the WLAC lead to 5-4 in the eighth.
PCC continues its 3-game set v. ELAC on Wednesday, Feb. 22 in a 2 p.m. start at JR Field.