The Santa Rosa Junior College Bear Cubs were unphased by rain in a dominant 14-2 win over Shasta College Friday at Cook Sypher Field.
Jordan Giacomini took the ball to open the game for the Bear Cubs, as they looked to bounce back from a heart-breaking walk-off loss at West Valley on Tuesday.
The Bear Cubs lineup was without slugger Zane Bennett, who hit three home runs in the last home game Jan. 26.
“[He] just wasn’t feeling right,” said assistant coach Jared Noonan. “[It] wasn’t feeling like the right time to push it. He’s been a little banged up the last couple of weeks, so I just gave him a day off.”
Giacomini pitched a clean first inning getting three quick outs. SRJC jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom half of the first on four walks and two hits.
Shasta pitcher Ian Bauer had some control issues throwing two wild pitches that advanced runners in addition to the four walks.
Rain started pouring at the end of the first inning. After a brief delay, the Bear Cubs took the field for the second inning.
Giacomini got into a bit of trouble in the top of the second, allowing two runs on a double and an error by shortstop Aidan Lombardi.
The Bear Cubs answered back in abundance putting up five runs in the bottom half. Gabe Henschel and Lombardi reached on singles, with Alex Leopard reaching on a dropped third strike.
Michael O’Daniel and Josh Martin drove in runs on singles, and Dalen Tinsley broke the game open with a towering three-run bomb.
“[It] feels great,” said Tinsley. “It was a two-strike count, [we] work on two-strike hitting, being tough, digging in the ground. The approach every time up at bat is [to] smash the ball in the middle of the field. The ball was inside and I got to the middle of it.”
Tinsley went two-for-three on the day with an RBI-double and a walk to go along with his three-run shot.
At the end of two, the Bear Cubs led 8-3. Hard-throwing right hander Hekili Robello took the mound for the Bear Cubs to start the top of the third.
Robello threw three scoreless, surrendering only one hit, one walk and striking out two, his velocity getting up to as high as 91-mph.
The Bear Cubs’ offense was quiet for the third and fourth before two more came around to score on a single by Henschel in
the bottom of the fifth.
Luke Dillon took over for Robello in the top of the sixth. He went two innings and struck out four.
First baseman Josh Martin hit a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the sixth. A rally led to another two-run single from Henschel. Another run scored on an error bringing the lead to 14-2.
Henschel matched Tinsley, with both driving in four to lead the team. Luke Schat and Aidan Lombardi shut the door in the eighth and ninth respectively to seal the win for the Bear Cubs.
“[The] ball was a little slippery but it wasn’t too bad. We were able to win, that’s all that really matters,” Giacomini said when speaking about the less-than-ideal playing conditions.
The Bear Cubs moved up to 2-2 on the season after another dominant home win.
“It’s always good to bounce back,” said Noonan. “That’s how we should handle a game like this. It’s good to be back at .500.” Head Coach Damon Neidlinger was not at the helm Friday afternoon after being tossed the game prior. The team declined to comment on Neidlinger’s ejection and absence.
The team will look to pick up its first road win of the season on Tuesday at College of Marin, with Neidlinger back as Skipper.
Photographer Nick Vides contributed to this reporting.
