COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Lowry Shows His Staying Power, Helps Pierce Short-Circuit Valley

Pierce College baseball Coach Bob Lyons has faith in Kurt Lowry.

Lyons kept his freshman starter in the game after Valley collected seven consecutive hits in the fourth inning. Lowry settled down, allowing only one run the rest of the way, to pitch host Pierce to a 14-9 Western State Conference victory Thursday.

It was Lowry’s fourth complete-game victory and his second against Valley this season.

“He’s been erratic at times, but we were going to stay with him,” Lyons said of Lowry, who threw 150 pitches and improved to 8-5. “It’s hard to tell when he’s tired. Our relief hasn’t been too stellar lately.”

Lyons pulled Lowry in the seventh inning of a game against Santa Barbara last month with the Brahmas trailing, 4-3. Pierce wound up losing, 12-10.

Valley scored five runs in the fourth against Lowry to take an 8-5 lead but was held to two hits thereafter.

“I was kind of worried,” Lowry said. “I didn’t feel relaxed in the beginning and Valley kept the game close. I felt nervous, but the guys gave me a lot of help.”

Jim Doushgounian (three for four) belted two home runs and drove in five runs to pace Pierce’s 16-hit attack against five pitchers. Carl McFadden (two triples) and Pat Houston also had three hits each.

Pierce improved to 13-17, 5-11 in conference play; the fourth-place Monarchs, who have won eight of their past 12 games, fell to 14-18-2, 8-8.

“I don’t know why we always play good against Valley,” said Doushgounian, whose team finished the season 2-0 against Valley. “We have the talent, but we haven’t been playing up to our abilities. Today we did.”

In other baseball games:

Canyons 9, Oxnard 8--Canyons took over sole possession of first place, a game ahead of Cuesta and Moorpark in the Western State Conference, by rallying for two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Cuesta dropped a 4-3 decision to Bakersfield.

Mike Kerber hit a two-run double with none out to score Charlie Fowlks with the tying run and Gary Morgan with the winning run.

Canyons (22-10, 13-3) trailed, 8-4, after five innings. Steve Kovacic closed the deficit to 8-7 with a three-run home run.

Moorpark 2, Santa Monica 1--Sophomore right-hander Jeff Berman pitched a three-hitter at Santa Monica to help Moorpark remain within a game of first-place Canyons.

Moorpark (20-11, 13-4) scored two runs in the third inning when Mike Suarez drove in Dan Smith and Darin Furlong with a double. Santa Monica is 19-21, 6-11.

Ventura 15, Glendale 0--Gabe Diaz was four for five with four runs batted in to lead host Ventura’s 16-hit attack in a Western State Conference game.

Antelope Valley 16, Victor Valley 9--Steve Lasagna and Don Grant each hit two home runs for visiting Antelope Valley, which hit seven home runs in the Foothill Conference game.

SOFTBALL

Moorpark 7, El Camino 0--Robin Thomas (23-7) allowed seven hits while recording her 14th shutout.