A 10-run, third-inning deficit was too much for the Long Beach City College Vikings to recover from as LBCC dropped a 10-7 non-conference game to visiting Barstow College on Thursday at Joe Hicks Memorial Field.

Barstow jumped out to the 10-0 advantage after scoring eight runs off starting pitcher Tanner Levine (Millikan HS) and two more off reliever Evan May (Oxford Academy).

In the bottom of the third, freshman Sam Roberts (Lakewood HS) inherited a bases loaded situation and pitched his way out of the jam to keep the deficit at 10. He went on to retire the nine batters he faced and allowed just two hits over 3 1/3 innings.

The Long Beach offense slowly began to chip away, getting single runs in the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings while scoring three runs in the fifth. Levine had two of his three RBI in the fifth, lacing a two-run single. He also smoked a RBI double in the eighth to get LBCC within three.

In the ninth, Long Beach finally got the tying run to the plate. But with two outs and runners on first and second, pinch hitter Julian Griego (Poly HS) was called out on strikes on what appeared to be ball four that would have loaded the bases.

Long Beach totaled 15 hits, but left 13 runners on base and committed four errors. Freshman Connor Steer (Millikan HS) went 3 for 4 to lead LBCC at the plate. Freshman Zach Mahon (Oak Ridge HS) also pitched well in relief, tossing three innings of one-hit relief.

Long Beach, now 2-6 overall, travels to Irvine Valley College on Saturday (Feb. 21) for a 12 p.m. non-conference game.