The Long Beach City College baseball team defeated the El Camino Warriors 7-3 in conference play on Saturday afternoon at the Viking Baseball Field. With the win, the Vikings advance to 18-16 overall and 9-7 in the South Coast Conference.
Freshman Bryan Sandoval (2-2) earned the win on the mound with only allowing eight hits, on three runs, while striking out three. Freshman Garrett Rennie (4-1) took home his fourth save of the season with zero runs on zero hits, while striking out two in three innings of work.
The Warriors were first to get on the board with a 2 RBI double to start the game in the first inning.
The Vikings responded back in the bottom of the second with four runs. Sophomore right fielder Robert Funk was the first to score off a Warrior error, then sophomore outfielder Aaron Fawcett was reeled in by an RBI single from freshman second baseman Raul Gonzalez. Freshman catcher David Balboa closed out the inning with a 2 RBI double to bring in sophomore third baseman Reese Berberet and sophomore center fielder Val Stammler to start the lead for the Vikings 4-2.
The Warriors snuck in a sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning to try and close the gap, but then Berberet smashed his first home run of the game in the bottom of the fourth to extend the Vikings' lead 5-3.
Freshman first baseman Mark Stanford continued the bats in the bottom of the fourth inning with a double to left field to bring in Balboa to keep the lead 6-3.
Berberet had one more home run in him and powered his 17th home run of the season through left field in the bottom of the eighth inning to seal the conference victory 7-3.
The Vikings will play again on Tuesday, April 17 at Cerritos College at 2:30 p.m.