COALINGA – Taft College banged out a season-high 20 hits, including a 4 for 5 game with 3 RBI at the plate from third baseman Tyler Vanneste, on its way to a big 17-1 win at West Hills College Coalinga on Saturday.
The triumph capped a Central Valley Conference series victory as the Cougars took two of three games from the Falcons. West Hills was a 7-4 winner in Game 1 on Tuesday before TC bounced back with a narrow 4-2 victory on Thursday.
On Saturday, Taft set the tone early by scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Vanneste and Izzy Halton smacked RBI doubles, Jesus Cruz hit a run-scoring single, while a West Hills error allowed another run to score.
The Cougars put together another four-run rally in the seventh and blew the game open by scoring seven runs in the ninth. Casey Henderson's bases-clearing, three-run double closed out the Cougars' scoring.
TC had big games offensively throughout the lineup. Jordan Phillips went 3 for 5 for with 3 RBI, 3 runs, and 2 walks. Henderson came off the bench to go 2 for 2 with 3 RBI and a run. Halton drove in a pair, batting 3 for 3 with a double. Cruz was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, 2 walks, and a run.
Joey Loubert turned in a strong starting effort on the mound for TC as he collected the win. He allowed 1 runs and 5 hits over 6 innings with 7 strike outs. Theo Grutas, Gavyn Siefert, and Alex Hunter all pitche3d scoreless innings of relief to close out the ball game.
Phillips had another big game on Thursday, driving in three of Taft's four runs in the 4-2 victory. His two-run single in the bottom of the fifth gave Taft a 2-1 lead and added another run-scoring single in the seventh.
Phillips (2 for 4, 3 RBI), and Nate Gutierrez (2 for 3) both had two hits each for Taft.
Chad Shaffer was dominant in the win on the hill for the Cougars. He struck out 10 batters over 7 innings, allowing 1 run and 6 hits. Austin Hogan picked up the save with a scoreless ninth inning.
On Tuesday, the Cougars rallied late with three runs in the top of the eighth before falling 7-4 in Coalinga. Cruz went a perfect 3 for 3 at the plate while Gutierrez (2 for 5) and Tanner Phillips both drove in two runs each.
The two wins improved Taft to 10-15 overall and 6-8 in the Central Valley Conference. The Cougars next face Porterville College in a three-game conference series that gets underway on Tuesday (Mar. 29) at home starting at 2 p.m.