Freshman Justin Davis (Mayfair HS) smacked a pinch-hit RBI double in the bottom of the 13th inning to score freshman pinch runner Jake Harris (Lakewood HS) and lift the Long Beach City College baseball team to a 1-0 win in its South Coast Conference opener over El Camino College-Compton Center on Tuesday at Joe Hicks Memorial Field.
The win snapped the Vikings' five-game losing streak and improved Long Beach to 4-8 overall and 1-0 in conference play. LBCC and Compton (8-6, 0-1 SCC) continue its three-game SCC series on Thursday at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton before wrapping up the series back in Long Beach on Saturday.
LBCC sophomore starting pitcher Manuel Barragan (Wilson HS) and Compton's Pedro Contreras battled for nine innings, matching each other with scoreless frames. Barragan struck allowed three hits and struck out six while Contreras also gave up three hits and struck out three.
Long Beach appeared to be on its way to the win in the bottom of the 10th. Sophomore Daniel Pitts (Quartz Hills HS) drew a lead-off walk which was followed by a single by sophomore Stefan Miladinovich (Wilson HS). Compton then elected to intentionally walk sophomore Yamel Delgado (Downey HS) to load the bases with no outs.
Sophomore Robert Yates (St. Anthony HS) flew out to shallow right field for the first out which brought pinch hitter Tyler Leidholdt (Lakewood HS) to the plate. LBCC attempted a potential game-winning suicide squeeze, but Leidholdt lined the bunt to Compton third baseman Aaron Correa. He easily ran back to the bag at third to double off Pitts and end the inning.
In the deciding 13th inning, Yates reached base on a one-out error before pinch runner Harris moved to second on a passed ball. Davis then came through with the big hit, smashing a double to the left-center field gap to end the game.
Sophomore Cameron Mackenzie (Woodbridge HS) picked up the win in relief for Long Beach. He was nearly perfect over four innings. Mackenzie struck out seven batters and allowed just one hit to improve to 1-1 on the season.
Long Beach had just six hits in the contest. Freshman Jordan Ybarra (Downey HS) went 2 for 5 to lead LBCC at the plate.
Betancourt (0-2) took the loss for Compton as he allowed the lone unearned run and three hits over the final 3 1/3 innings. Correa went 2 for 5 to lead the Tartars' offense.