The Bakersfield College baseball team improved to 4-0 in Western State Conference play with a walk-off win against College of the Canyons on March 10.
The Renegades pulled out the 4-3 win with a two-run single from shortstop David Pennington in the bottom of the ninth.
“This is a dream come true, I’ve dreamed of this since I was a kid. And beating Canyons, that’s just a blessing and now we’re 4-0,” said Pennington.
Sophomore Bryan Maxwell was on the mound for the Renegades looking to earn his first win of the season in five appearances.
The Renegades looked to be in control of the game until the sixth inning when the Cougars scored three runs on four hits and an error.
In the bottom half of the sixth, BC scored a run off a single from left fielder Mike Spingola and from a sacrifice fly from Ben Straka.
The Renegades would keep Canyons’ hitters at bay, setting them up for chance to win it in the ninth.
Enrique Meza led off the ninth with a walk on four straight pitches from Canyons’ Andy Arriaga. The next batter, Riley Showers, squeezed out a single from a bunt attempt, as the ball rolled under the out-stretched glove of first baseman Jake Jelmini.
Daniel Rueger came in to pinch hit and was also walked, but this time to load the bases. As Pennington was ready to step into the batter’s box, Canyons’ head coach Chris Cota came out to the mound to pull Arriaga for David Haerle.
Pennington swung at the first pitch from Haerle and put it in the gap between first and second. Meza came in to score easily while Showers came in for a play at the plate. The throw from the right fielder was on-line but catcher Michael Browne lost it on the tag leaving Showers safe at home as the winning run.
Pennington was immediately mobbed at first base by the entire dugout.
“Right when I saw the ball was dropped at home and we won, something set off inside of me. I got really excited because I know we’ve been working really hard and fighting all game to get a few runs. And just to give that to the crowd was just a good feeling.”
Before stepping in, Pennington prepared for the at-bat with a personal moment.
“I said a quick little prayer, and I said, ‘Well whatever happens is up to you,’ and I just got up there and tried not to think of anything. I just cleared my head and looked to get the job done.
Head coach Tim Painton was relieved afterward to get the win against a typically good team in Canyons.
“It’s a good feeling to comeback in the ninth inning and win a very close ballgame, and play well against a good club,” Painton said. “Fortunately today we got a little help with them in the ninth to load the bases, and David Pennington being at the plate is a guy you want to see in that situation.
“He’s been a clutch guy for us for two years, so we were happy to have him at the plate,” he said.
Maxwell, who pitched the complete game giving up two of the Renegades three runs, said after the game that it felt good to finally get a win.
“I’ve been pitching well lately and I’ve had some tough-luck losses, and I knew if I kept pitching my game our offense would come through.”
Maxwell was also glad to have Pennington back healthy, who has only been back for five games in the field, calling him a “catalyst.”
“It’s huge having Penny back healthy, because he just gives you that feeling of comfort when you’re on the mound knowing how he swings it, knowing how he fields it, it’s nice having him back 100 percent.”
Maxwell also spoke of the trouble in the sixth inning, giving catcher Brock Allen credit for getting him back on track.
“I was throwing well early then in the sixth, I wasn’t spotting up as well with my fastball but Allen did a great job of adjusting to that and we started going more off-speed. From that point on, we were able to keep them at bay,” he said.
Pennington was glad to pick up the win.
“We’ve put a good run on it right now, so to get this one at home against a good ballclub feels awesome.
To get this in a conference game is just huge because this whole year is a grind. Every single win that we can get and push across is a good feeling because in the end, we need to win two out of three against everyone,” he said.
Painton said the win was typical of Renegades baseball, “that’s kind of the makeup of our club, we’re going to pitch, we’re going to play defense and got to grind out runs.”
Renegades pitcher Marcos Reyna threw a reported no-hitter against Los Angeles Valley College on March 12, for his second win of the season. Reyna, who was a 14th round draft pick in 2009, struck out 13 batters and walked three.
BC defeated Los Angeles Pierce College on the road on March 5 in an 11-inning game. Tied at two, the Renegades got the win with a two-run single from Spingola.
On the road again, the Renegades would also need extra innings to beat the West Los Angeles College Wildcats on March 8.
BC sealed the game in an unconventional 10th inning scoring six runs on just two hits. The Renegades six run inning consisted of: a passed ball, fielder’s choice, hit by pitch, a wild pitch and five walks.
The Renegades have four straight home games coming up with one of them being a rematch against LA Pierce.