Giants Sweeps Porterville in Three-Game Series
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sequoias
|
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
|
Porterville
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Porterville
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 |
|
Sequoias
|
0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Porterville
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
|
Sequoias
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | X | 10 | 12 | 0 |
VISALIA, Calif. – The College of the Sequoias baseball team put together a great performance, sweeping Porterville in a three-game series behind great pitching and timely hitting. The Giants improved to 9-5 overall and 3-0 in conference play with the series sweep.
"Our pitching staff really stepped up this series," Head Coach Jody Allen said. "When you have guys going deep into games and keeping the walks down, it makes a difference."
Game 1 – COS 3, Porterville 0 (Feb. 18)
COS started the series with a shutout victory, blanking Porterville 3-0 behind a complete-game performance from Tyson Kilbreath (Alberta). Kilbreath went the distance, tossing nine shutout innings while striking out six and allowing just nine hits.
The Giants did their scoring in the second inning when Cruz Rodriguez (Redwood HS) lined a two-run single into right field, scoring Hunter Jobs (Buchanan HS) and Aiden Medina (Hoover HS). Zach Milhous (Monache HS) added an RBI single later in the inning to push the lead to 3-0.
Porterville had its chances but left multiple runners stranded as Kilbreath worked out of several jams. Alex Lopez (Golden West HS) led the Giants offensively with two hits.
"Tyson controlled the game," Allen said. "He attacked the strike zone, kept hitters off balance, and really competed for all nine innings. That was a huge start to the series for us."
Game 2 – Sequoias 2, Porterville 1 (Feb. 20)
The Giants secured the series victory with a nail-biting 2-1 win on the road. Sam Reynolds (Bullard HS) led the way on the mound, tossing 7.1 shutout innings, allowing just five hits while striking out five. Romeo Lopez (Hanford HS) came in to close it out, working out of trouble in the ninth to earn the save.
Sequoias' two runs came in the second inning, when Caleb Catalano (Lemoore HS) drilled a two-run double down the left-field line, bringing in Diego Sanchez (Bakersfield Christian HS) and Jonathon Ortega (El Diamante HS).
Porterville cut the lead in half with a run in the ninth, but Lopez induced a game-ending groundout to strand the tying run on third.
"We didn't put up a ton of runs, but our pitchers did their job," Allen said. "Reynolds was efficient, and Romeo handled the pressure in the ninth. Good teams find ways to win close games, and that's what we did."
Game 3 – Sequoias 10, Porterville 0 (Feb. 22)
The series finale was all Sequoias, as the Giants exploded for 10 runs on 11 hits, while the pitching staff combined for a three-hit shutout in a 10-0 rout.
The Giants broke the game open in the fifth when Hunter Jobs (Buchanan HS) reached on an error, allowing Caleb Catalano to score. Milhous, Walker Selley (Bermuda), and Jobs all contributed RBI hits, putting the Giants up 5-0.
A five-run eighth inning sealed the victory, with Milhous, Ortega, and Medina driving in runs to put the game out of reach.
Hudson Groh (Liberty HS) was electric on the mound, tossing six scoreless innings while striking out seven. Noah Gonzales (Clovis East HS) and Aaron Prieto (Fowler HS) closed it out with three hitless innings in relief.
"The guys came out ready to go today," Allen said. "We took advantage of their mistakes, and pitched well. It's always good to finish a series strong."
Upcoming Games
The Giants will now turn their attention to a three-game series against Merced. The series will begin on Tuesday, February 25, traveling to Merced with first pitch slated for 2:00 p.m game. The teams will then shift to Visalia on Thursday, February 27, as the Giants host the Blue Devils at 2:00 p.m. The series finale will be played back in Merced on Saturday, March 1, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
COS will look to build on its momentum and continue its strong start to conference play.
Stay updated on College of the Sequoias' Baseball and the rest of COS Athletics at COSGiants.com.
