BEAVERS GET FIRST ROAD WIN OF SEASON, SPLIT SERIES WITH SHASTA

American River College got a badly needed win, their first on the road in two tries as they defeated Shasta College 5-4 on Saturday in Redding.  The team got an outstanding pitching performance from all three pitchers on Saturday, but sophomore Blake Yuyama (Kennedy) gave the staff what they desperately needed, another quality start.  Yuyama went 6 innings, striking out five and walking none- he only had two- three ball counts in the six innings.  His first four innings were scoreless but the Knights got a run in the 5^th inning after a two out hit batter and a pair of singles pulled Shasta to within two.  The Beavers scored in the 2^nd inning after freshman 3B Nick Ochoa (Segerstrom) opened the inning with his second triple of the season.  Sophomore C Kristoff Swanson (Del Oro) then drove him in with a grounder to short which was thrown away allowing him to reach as well.  Swanson drove in a run in the 4^th with a double, one of his three hits on the day.  He later scored on a single by SS Marcellas Flenory (Antelope).  Shasta then tied the game in the 6^th but A.R.C. came right back and took the lead in the 7^th after Yuyama, who was still in the game as the DH walked and stole second.  He was driven home by a double from sophomore 1B Bryce Sidler (Oakmont).  Freshman RHP Kyle Ablog (Casa Roble) came on in relief of Yuyama and threw really well, though an error allowed the tying run to score in the 8^th.  Ablog would throw a pair of innings, not allow a hit and faced just 7 batters, throwing 14 of his 18 pitches for strikes. 

The 9th inning was where things got interesting.  The Beavers had already had some miscues on the bases and missed out on some scoring opportunities when the first two batters of the inning reached by being hit by pitches.  Freshman Trevor Crockett (Del Campo) then came up to pinch-bunt with nobody out.  He bunted the ball in the air to first which should have been an easy catch for the Shasta first baseman, but he decided to let the ball drop to try and get a double play.  His throw to second however sailed into left field and Josiah Taylor (Alpha Charter) came around to score from second to give the Beavers the lead.  The runner at first however, Blake Yuyama thought that he was out so he stopped running.  When Crockett saw the ball sail into left field he kept running to second and passed Yuyama, causing Crockett to be out.  Yuyama then went back to first where he started.  A.R.C. would still load the bases in the 9^th but couldn’t push across any more runs. 

Sophomore closer Christian Lucero (River City) came on in the 9^th for his 4^th appearance of the week and faced three batters in earning his first save of the season. 

The Beavers will be home on Thursday to face the Lassen College Cougars at 2:00 p.m., then will head to the coast to play Hartnell College in Salinas on Friday and Saturday.