For the fourth time since March 7, the Pasadena City College baseball team vaulted itself into a first-place tie in the wildly close 2022 South Coast Conference standings. The state #8-ranked Lancers performed their first sweep in five SCC series, completing a 3-game winning set at Compton College, 7-1, on Saturday.
Pasadena, one of five teams in the state with at least 22 victories, improved to 22-7 overall and its 11-4 conference record has it tied with state #9 Mt. San Antonio, which had an 11-game win streak snapped by LA Harbor, 11-6, on Saturday. The two teams have a 1-game lead over both El Camino and Long Beach City (each 10-5).
In extending the team's season-longest win streak to seven games, the PCC pitching staff continued an impressive streak of control by allowing no walks for the fourth time during the winning run. The staff hasn't allowed a walk in the last 21.2 innings. Relievers haven't surrendered a walk in 12 consecutive innings going back to last Saturday's sixth inning of a win over Palomar.
In the finale, Coleman Mitchell (2-0, 2.89 ERA in 37.1 innings) was brilliant with seven innings of 5-hit, shutout ball as he set down Compton 1-2-3 in the first, fourth and fifth innings. Mitchell was aided by dazzling defense including a diving stop and 4-3 throw by second baseman Andrew Scannell to end the third, and first baseman Jake Trabbie's diving play to rob a RBI hit by Crixtian Taveras as Trabbie made the throw to Mitchell just in time beat Taveras to the bag to end the sixth. In the eighth inning, shortstop Raider Tello later made a head's up play as he picked up a shot off the glove of reliever Rider Gardner to make the throw for a 1-6-3 putout.
The Lancers defense has been consistent all season and have made just two errors in the last four victories. The team is 10-2 in games where the team was flawless in the field and 6-1 in contests where the Lancers committed just one error. PCC's .963 fielding percentage is 15th in the state.
"Our right side of the infield defense with Scannell and Trabbie has been outstanding all season," PCC head coach Pat McGee said. "In the outfield, Max Blessinger in center and Aryonis Harrison as our leftfielder cover so much ground. I really think our catchers Matt Rice and Matthew Delgado have quietly done their jobs not only with framing pitches but fielding the position overall. If you are going to win, you better have good defense and it's been a strong point for us."
Blessinger led the offense again by batting 3-for-5 with a double as he continues to rise in the state and SCC statistical leaders. Already the state's leader in runs scored at 43, the sophomore transfer is now third in the state in RBI at 40, a remarkable stat as a leadoff hitter. Tello still holds the state lead in hits (56) and Blessinger is now tied for second with 52. The pair lead the South Coast in batting, Tello at .431 and Blessinger .426. Blessinger's .529 on-base percentage is ninth in the state.
Rice batted 1-for-2 and drove in three runs, including two on sacrifice flies. Designated hitter Jakob Guardado was 1-for-2, three runs scored and drew two walks and one hit-by-pitch. In the three games v. Compton, Harrison batted 3-for-8, drew four hit-by-pitches, two walks, scored four runs, and stole five bases.
On Tuesday, April 5, PCC begins a 3-game series v. Rio Hondo College at the Roadrunners Whitter campus field.
Coleman Mitchell has pitched well as one of the team's three regular starting pitchers.
