COLLEGE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Pierce Clinches Tie for WSC Title

Pierce College played long ball Thursday and in the process clinched a share of the Western State Conference baseball title.

Robby Welles set a school season record for home runs and teammate Adam Pearlman also homered to lead defending co-champion Pierce to a 9-4 victory over host Glendale.

The Brahmas (27-6, 15-4 in conference play) lead Ventura by a game with one remaining. Ventura can clinch a share of the title with a victory at Pierce on Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m.

With Pierce trailing, 3-2, in the sixth, Welles hit his 11th home run to break the mark set by Pat Fairly in 1990.

Pearlman, a freshman catcher, hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run rally in the eighth.

Eric Raba (10-0) allowed three earned runs over six innings, struck out seven and walked two.

Right-hander Chris Brown pitched the final three innings to earn his first save.

Ventura 2, Santa Barbara 0--Chris Bargsten’s two-out, two-run double in the third inning drove in Carlos Rios and David Frazier and gave host Ventura a WSC victory.

The win kept Ventura (23-12, 14-5) within one game of first-place Pierce in the conference standings.

Ventura’s Sam Arroyo (5-1), a right-hander from Buena High, outdueled Travis Arnold, striking out three and walking none while pitching a four-hitter.

Arnold also went the distance. He struck out three, walked one and allowed nine hits.

Santa Barbara threatened in the sixth and eighth innings, but Arroyo worked out of both jams.

In the sixth, Santa Barbara had runners second and third with one out, but Arroyo retired the side on a strikeout and a groundout.

In the eighth, Santa Barbara loaded the bases with one out, but Arroyo escaped with a double play.

Moorpark 14, Santa Monica 3--Moorpark’s Del Marine had only one hit in six at-bats, but the hit was a big one.

Marine belted a fifth-inning grand slam to extend the visiting Raiders’ lead to 10-0 in a WSC game. Marine also had a sacrifice fly during Moorpark’s five-run first inning.

Jeff Sommer had a run-scoring single in the first, and Tom Lunsford added a two-run single.

Lunsford was three for four with two runs batted in. Chris Chandler was three for five with one RBI.

Mike Jenkins (4-4) scattered seven hits and struck out two.

Moorpark is 19-14, 10-9 in conference play.

Mission 8, L.A. City 4 (12 innings)--With two out in the 12th at L.A. City, Mission (15-15-1, 8-7) scored four runs in a Southern California Conference game to remain alive in a bid for the regional playoffs.

Robert Garcia’s bases-loaded single with two out in the 12th drove in a run and gave Mission a 5-4 lead.

Dereck Ornelas then beat out a grounder to short and two runs scored. Marlon McKinney doubled home Ornelas to complete the rally.

Frank Serna pitched the first 10 innings for Mission, allowing four runs while striking out none and walking three.

Roy Lozano and Garcia each had three hits for Mission, which faces conference power Harbor in a doubleheader Saturday.

Brian Gomez, McKinney and Ornelas each had two hits for Mission.

Cuesta 7, Oxnard 1--Oxnard committed eight errors and gave up four unearned runs in a WSC game at Oxnard.

Eric Kovach (2-3) allowed just an earned run and four hits in eight innings for Oxnard (5-24, 4-15).

Long Beach City 8, Valley 6--Carlos Olmos had three hits and teammate Mario Joy had two for host Valley in a nonconference game, but four Monarch pitchers walked 10 batters, and Long Beach scored three runs on passed balls.

Valley (15-19-1) led, 6-2, after six innings but gave up three runs in the seventh and three in the eighth.

The eighth characterized the game for Valley.

Reliever Arnie Aguinaga walked a batter to begin the inning, then was replaced by Mike Engler, who walked the first batter.

One out later, Long Beach tied the score, 6-6, on a single. A passed ball allowed Long Beach to take a 7-6 lead, and after a groundout and a walk loaded the bases, Long Beach again scored on a passed ball.

Olmos and Joy each scored a run and had an RBI for Valley, which outhit Long Beach, 10-6.