BASEBALL : Diaz Sizzles, But LACC Fizzles in 16-8 Loss

Thursday’s game between East Los Angeles College and Los Angeles City College illustrated how one player’s accomplishments can rarely overshadow a team effort.

L.A. City freshman Ernie Diaz hit three home runs and had five runs batted in, but the Cubs wilted under East L.A.’s offensive barrage in a 16-8 Southern California Athletic Conference loss.

East L.A. improved to 18-13 overall and moved into first place in the conference with an 11-3 record. L.A. City dropped to 15-15 and 6-8.

Thursday’s game was the second in three days between the two schools. On Tuesday, East L.A. won 8-5. In the two games, East L.A. knocked out 24 runs on 30 hits.

“We are a very inconsistent team (offensively),” East L.A. Coach Al Cone said. “But, we are a different team in conference play.”

East L.A. jumped out to a 6-1 lead after a three-run home run by catcher Carlos Ramirez in the fourth inning. The Huskies got seven more runs in the next two innings, including a leadoff home run by Teddy Persell in the fifth and a two-run single by Sal Gomez in the sixth. to take a 13-3 lead.

“A different guy gets the big hit for us each game,” Cone said.

But for L.A. City, the same player got the big hits. Diaz hit home runs in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings.

“I was relaxed, seeing the ball well and my swing was pretty good,” Diaz said.

East L.A. scored three runs in the eighth inning, thanks to two L.A. City errors. The Cubs, whose starting roster consists of mostly freshmen, committed five errors.

“That game was ugly,” L.A. City Coach Dan Cowgill said.