Freshman starting pitcher Nick Wood (pictured) allowed just two hits over seven innings and the Long Beach City College offense banged out 11 hits on its way to a 7-0 South Coast Conference win over visiting Cerritos College on Thursday at LBCC's Joe Hicks Memorial Field.

The Vikings will go for the three-game sweep on Saturday (Mar. 23) at 12 p.m. when the two teams play the series finale back at Cerritos.

Thursday's win improved Long Beach to 11-10 overall and evened the Vikings' SCC record at 4-4. Cerritos dropped to 8-12 and 3-5 in conference play.

Wood was nearly untouchable by the Falcons. But he had to get out of a one-out, bases loaded jam in the top of the first inning. He induced a double play out of Cerritos' Myles Mendez to escape the frame with no damage.

After allowing a first-inning single, he held the Falcons hitless all the way until giving up a two-out single in the seventh to Edgar Menendez.

Wood struck out five and walked four to earn the win and improve to 3-5 overall.

The LBCC bats also did its part by scoring at least one run in every inning except the first and fourth innings.

Freshman Daniel Pitts (1 for 3) drove in a pair of runs with a RBI single and sacrifice fly. Sophomore Ray Patchen (2 for 4) hit a RBI double and the Vikings also got RBI from sophomores Phil Visico (1 for 2, 2 walks, 2 runs) and Jaime Valle (1 for 4, 1 run, 1 walk).

Daniel Algra (0-3) took the loss for Cerritos. He allowed three runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings.  

Photo by Chris Ruiz