Long Beach City College will look to win its third consecutive South Coast Conference championship this season and the Vikings got off to a good start with an 8-5 win at Pasadena City College in both teams' SCC opener on Tuesday. LBCC won its third straight to improve to 9-6 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

Pasadena (6-7, 0-1 SCC) jumped on Long Beach starter Daniel Rocha (Narbonne HS) for three runs in the bottom of the first before the Vikings came right back to take the lead with four runs in the top of the second. Freshmen Andrew Jaekel (St. John Bosco HS) and Tristin Chamberlain (Millikan HS) both hit RBI singles while sophomore Stevie Castro (Wilson HS) delivered a two-run double.

After a rough first inning, Rocha pitched well until running into trouble in the seventh. After allowing a lead-off single to Justin Cage, a passed ball and ground out moved him to third. Freshman Jacob Zinger (Poly HS) relieved Rocha and allowed a sacrifice fly to Brandon Benson to tie up the game at 4-4.

But Long Beach erupted for another four-run inning in the eighth to take the lead for good. Freshman Vincent Byrd II (Sacramento, CA/El Camino HS) led off the frame with a solo homerun to right field to put LBCC out in front. Chamberlain hit a sacrifice fly to score Jaekel, sophomore Tai Tiedemann (Poly HS) hit a RBI groundout, and freshman Gavin Windes (St. John Bosco HS) closed out the scoring with a RBI single.

Chamberlain had a big day at the plate, going 3 for 3 with 2 RBI and walk. Byrd also had three hits, going 3 for 5 with a home run, two runs, and a RBI.

Rocha allowe4d three earned runs and nine hits over 6 1/3 innings in the no decision. He struck out three and walked three. Zinger (1-0) picked up his first victory in relief, allowing one runs and two hits over the final 2 2/3 innings.

Long Beach is back in action on Wednesday (Mar. 9) when the Vikings will host Grossmont College in a non-conference game at 2 p.m. The SCC series with Pasadena resumes on Thursday (Mar. 11) back at LBCC at 2 p.m.