The bats stayed cold for the Santa Rosa Junior College baseball team in a tough loss against Diablo Valley College at home on Thursday.
The Bear Cubs came into Thursday’s matchup against the Vikings fresh off 2-1 and 1-0 wins in their previous two games. They looked to continue the win streak while waking the bats up.
Hard-throwing right-hander Hekili Robello took the ball for SRJC, after having thrown six strong innings in his previous appearance on March 7.
Robello struck out two in a smooth top of the first. The Bear Cubs went down in order in the bottom of the first.
After a quiet second inning for both sides, the Vikings opened up the scoring when center fielder Zach Ragland advanced twice on wild pitches and then scored on a fielder’s choice to give Diablo Valley a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.
It was a pitcher’s duel through the bottom of the sixth. Robello went six strong with only one run allowed and four strikeouts. Through 44 ⅓ innings on the year, Robello has an impressive 2.03 ERA with 41 strikeouts.
Sidearmer Collin Medeiros took over for Robello in the top of the seventh. The Vikings increased the lead to 3-0 on a throwing error by Bear Cubs catcher Aidan Sakai and an RBI double by Vikings second baseman Charlie Malton.
The Bear Cubs had no answer, going down in order in the bottom of the seventh. Medeiros loaded the bases in the top of the eighth but escaped unscathed.
Vikings starting pitcher Anthony Hurtado had pitched seven dominant scoreless innings, before allowing a single and a double to Bear Cubs right fielder Quinn Medin and second baseman Tyler Nordyke respectively.
Jesse Moore took over for Hurtado, then allowed two runs on a fielder’s choice and a balk. Hurtado was charged with the runs and finished his day with seven strong innings, six hits and three strikeouts.
The Vikings led 3-2 going into the ninth inning, with the Bear Cubs lacking energy.
“I hate to see them in a situation where they’re in the dugout and nothing is being said. It’s sad,” said assistant coach Tom Francois.
Jacob Greiner took over for Medeiros in the top of the ninth. Greiner allowed two on three hits including a two-run single by Vikings left fielder Jake Van Blaricom.
The Bear Cubs had one last chance in the bottom of the ninth trailing 5-2. Medin reached on a hard-hit single, but Moore struck Nordyke out looking to seal the win for Diablo Valley.
With this loss, SRJC failed to score more than two runs in their third straight game. “We just have to compete better, especially with guys in scoring position,” said Francois. “It’s extremely frustrating to see that kind of a performance, knowing full well that these guys are a lot better than that. It saddens me.”
The Bear Cubs will look to inject new life into the offense in the third game of the series against Diablo Valley College on the road on Friday.
