LMC baseball team takes off

Mustangs defeat Seahawks in first home game of season

Juan Cebreiros, Staff Writer

The Los Medanos College Mustangs baseball team soared over the Cabrillo Seahawks Saturday Jan. 28 for a 7-3 victory at home. The Mustangs took the lead early in the second inning, and never relinquished it. 

The game started on a sour note for Mustangs starting pitcher A.J. Gamboa. He gave up back-to-back singles to start the game, immediately working himself into a jam. With runners on first and third Gamboa threw a wild pitch, allowing the runner from third to score. That was the only damage done in the inning as Cabrillo grounded into a double play to get the Mustangs out of the inning.

In the bottom of the second inning the Mustangs found themselves with runners on first and second looking to tie the score and possibly take the lead. A single by Kris Leffle scored Ryan Pierce tying the game at 1-1. Colton Trudeau was on first and attempted to steal second base, but the throw from Cabrillo’s catcher went into center field. Michael Weber trotted home from third and the Mustangs took a 2-1 lead. 

After his shaky first inning, Gamboa settled into a groove giving up only one run over four innings while striking out three batters. The offense gave him a nice cushion during his outing and when he was relieved in the fifth inning for Jack Saylor, the Mustangs had parted a 4-1 lead due in part to RBI singles from Bubba Rocha and Trudeau.

 The top of the sixth saw Saylor get into a scare as he loaded the bases with two outs. He walked in a run to make the score 4-2 but that was all Saylor would give up as the next batter grounded out to shortstop Trudeau to get out of the jam. 

The Mustangs looked to respond in the bottom half of the inning as Weber and Leffle got on base to start the inning. Trudeau also got on base safely due to an error by Cabrillo’s first baseman, loading the bases. Weber scored when Rocco Borrelli hit into a fielder’s choice and Leffle scored on a wild pitch from the Seahawks’ pitcher to grow the Mustang lead to 6-2. 

The Mustangs held a 7-2 lead going into the last inning after Khamani Blakney knocked in Leffle on an RBI single. Dominic Cesario came on to pitch in the ninth inning and was able to work through an RBI triple to secure the Mustang’s 7-3 victory at home over the Cabrillo Seahawks. 

The Mustangs travel to Hayward to take on Chabot Community College Feb. 2 before returning home to play a two-game series against Fresno City College Friday Feb. 3 at 2 p.m and Saturday Feb. 4 at 1 p.m.