Errors Plague Canyons in Loss to Rival Cerritos

The rivalry between the baseball teams from College of the Canyons and Cerritos College is still strong, but Canyons’ fortunes have changed since it won the first meeting between the schools two weeks ago.

Aided by five Canyons errors and a five- run fourth inning, Cerritos emerged with an 8-1 win Thursday--its second in three tries against Canyons this season--in a nonconference game at Kincaid Field in Cerritos.

“You need to hit, play catch and throw to win,” Canyons Coach Len Mohney said. “Our pitching was good, but our defense cost us. They didn’t give our pitchers any help. We just self-destructed.

“We are capable of beating them. Without those errors, it would have been a close ballgame.”

Sophomore Dan Naulty (2-0) went the distance for Cerritos, the defending state champion, scattering six hits and striking out five.

“My fastball was working really good,” the gangly 6-foot-5 right-hander said. “I’ve pitched against (Canyons) so many times before, I knew what to expect. I started to get tired toward the end, but our defense came through with some great plays and some big double plays to keep me away from trouble.”

Shortstop Marc Benjamin, second baseman Richard Escobedo and first baseman Shawn Nugent came up with inning-ending double plays in the fifth and eighth innings to squelch any Canyons comeback hopes. And while Cerritos’ defense was clicking, Canyons’ hitters were struggling.

Naulty retired Canyons in order in the first two innings and gave up only two hits through five.

The lone score for Canyons (6-4) came in the sixth. Billy Horvat and Ron Robarte were hit by pitches to start the inning, then Benjamin bobbled Gary Morgan’s grounder to load the bases.

Horvat scored on Chris Vasquez’s fielder’s choice grounder down the first-base line.

It was a fight for Canyons pitcher Lance Gibson (1-1) almost from the start as Cerritos scored six runs--four earned--in four innings.

Cerritos (7-2) loaded the bases in the second, but Nugent grounded out to end the inning. In the third, Cerritos again loaded the bases, capitalizing on two errors by Canyons’ second baseman Steve Kovacic to score.

“We’ve been struggling, lately,” Cerritos Coach George Horton said. “Not in terms of scoring, just knocking in runs with two outs.”

Thursday, however, Cerritos scored half of its runs with two out. Center fielder Chris Powell, who was two for five, drove in two of them with a triple in the fifth.