Sophomore Schuyler Hill (Wilson HS) struck out nine batters over a dominant seven-inning effort to help lead Long Beach City College to a 5-1 win against two-time defending state champion Orange Coast College in the Vikings' season opener on Saturday at Joe Hicks Memorial Field.
Hill, a pre-season All-American selection, was nearly untouchable. He allowed just two hits, both bunt singles, to an Orange Coast lineup that totaled 15 runs and 14 hits just the day before in a shutout win over College of the Desert.
The LBCC offense had just five hits, but came through in the clutch when the Vikings needed it most.
Orange Coast (1-1) starting pitcher Michael Giancone held Long Beach hitless over the first three innings until the Vikings rallied for a pair of runs. Sophomore Sean Williams (Wilson HS) led off with a single up the middle before sophomore Tai Tiedemann (Poly HS) drove him in with a RBI triple to the right-center field gap. Two batters later, sophomore Jackson Foss (Wilson HS) brought in Tiedemann with a sacrifice fly to put LBCC in front 2-0.
LBCC added to the lead in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore Erickson Fish (Sitka, AK) smashed a solo homerun to left field. And in the sixth, freshman Gavin Windes (St. John Bosco HS) laced a two-run double down the left-field line to score Foss and freshman Vincent Byrd II (El Camino HS).
With the offense rolling, Hill went on to retire the final 10 batters he faced. Sophomore Evan May (Oxford Academy) continued the streak by setting down the Pirates in order in the eighth. Tiedemann got the first two batters out in the ninth before OCC finally got on the board with a walk by James McLellan and a RBI double by Eric Wagaman.
After a single by Chris Prescott put runners on first and third, Tiedemann got Robert Teel to ground out sharply to Byrd at first base to end the threat and the ball game.
Saturday's victory was LBCC career win No. 510 for head coach Casey Crook. He needs just four more to surpass Joe Hicks as the all-time leader. He get his first shot at No. 511 when the 1-0 Vikings travel to Orange Coast for a non-conference game on Tuesday (Feb. 2) at 2 p.m.